Allen's captivity, being a Narrative of Colonel Ethan Allen, containing his voyages, travels, &c., interspersed with political observations

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ffliUSE:

ALLEN'S CAPTIVITY,

NARRATIVE

COLONEL ETHAN ALLEN,

CONTAINING HI3

VOYAGES, TRAVELS, &c..

INTERSPERSED

WITH POLITICAL OBSERVATIONS.

WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.

BOSTON:

OLIVER L. PERKINS.

1845.

<f

7

PREFACE

Ethan Allen, the author and subject of
the following narrative, was certainly one of
the most, noted and notable men of his time.
Bold, ardent and unyielding, he possessed an
unusual degree of vigor both of body and
mind, and an unlimited confidence in his own
abilities.

He was born in Roxbury, Litchfield county,
Conn, on the 10th of January, 1737. He
married in Connecticut, and migrated himself
lO Vermont about the year 1769, where he
spent most of his after life ; but his family did
lot come here till 1778, just before his return
rom captivity. At the commencement of
listurbances in this territory, about the year
[770, he took a most active part in favor of
he Green Mountain Boys, as the settlers were
hen called, in opposition to the government
)f New York. On account of which, an act

PREFACE.

of outlawry against him was passed by this
State, and fifty pounds were offered for his
apprehension ; but his party was too numerous
and faithful to permit him to be disturbed by
any apprehensions for his safety. In all the
struggles of the day he was successful ; and
not only proved a valuable friend to those
whose cause he had espoused, but he was
humane and generous towards those with
whom he had to contend. When called to
take the field he showed himself an able leader
and an intrepid soldier. He refrained from
every thing which had the appearance of
meanness, injustice, cruelty, or abuse towards
those who fell into his power, and protested
against the same in others. During the pro-
gress of the controversy with New York, he
wrote and dispersed several pamphlets in
which he exhibited, in a manner peculiar to
himself, and well suited to the state of public
feeling, the injustice and cruelty of the claims
and proceedings of this State. And although
these pamphlets |are unworthy of notice as
literary productions, yet they were at the time

PREFACE. 7

extensively circulated, and contributed much
to inform the minds, arouse the zeal, and unite
the efforts of the settlers. The bold and un-
polished roughness of these writings were well
suited to give a just description of the views
and proceedings of a band of speculating and
unprincipled land-jobbers. His method of
writing was likewise well adapted to the con-
dition and feelings of the settlers ; and proba-
bly exerted a greater influence over their
opinions and conduct, than the same senti-
ments would have done, clothed in the chaste
style of classic elegance. Nor did it differ
greatly in style, or literary merit ; from the
pamphlets which came from New York. But
although he wrote with asperity and freedom,
he was ever noble and generous and just.

The most eventful period of Col. Allen's
life was that between May 1775 and May 1778.
This period is embraced in the following nar-
rative. Being returned to Vermont, as an
expression of confidence in his patriotism and
military talents, he was vA soon afterwards
appointed to the command of the State militia.

b PREFACE.

It does not appear, however, that his intre-
pidity was ever afterwards brought to the test,
though his patriotism was tried by an unsuc-
cessful attempt of (he British to bribe him to
effect a reunion of Vermont with Canada.
Sir H. CHnton wrote to Lord Germaine,
Feb. 1781, " there is every reason to suppose
that Ethan Allen has quitted the rebel cause."
It was his project to make a city, Vergennes,
a mile square. His, daughter Pamela, married
E. W. Keys, Esq., in 1803. Another
daughter entered a nunnery in Canada ; and
another died in her youth. Being called to
the bedside of this one a short time previous
to her death, (she having been instructed in
the principles of Christianity by her mother,
and by him in deislical principles,) she said
to him, "I am about to die; shall I' believe
the principles you have taught me, or shall I
believe what my mother has taught nje .'^" He
became agitated — his chin quivered — his whole
frame shook, and he replied, " Believe what
your mother has tauBt you.*'

PREFACE. ^

Besides the pamphlets in the controversy
with New York, and this narrative of his cap-
tivity, our author also wrote " A Vindication
of the Opposition of the Inhabitants of Ver-
mont to the Government of New York, and
th^eir right to form an independent State.'*
This was published in 1779, and ^'Allen's
Theology, or the Oracles of Reason, 1786."

He died suddenly, of apoplexy, at his estate
in Colchester, Feb. 12, 1789. His ashes
rest beneath a plain marble slab in the beautiful
cemetry near Winooski, lower falls, having
upon it the following inscription :

The
Corporeal Part
of
GENERAL ETHAN ALLEN, '

Rests beneath this stone,

r2th day Feb. 1789,

Aged 50.

His spirit tried ih^ mercies of his God
In whom he believed and strongly trusted.

His true age, as will appear from the record
of his birth, was 52 years, l^month and 2 days.

Two editions of this worf; one at Philadel-
phia and the other at Boston, were printed

lb

PREFACE.

during the year 1779, in which it was wtitten.
Another was printed in Norwich, in 1780.
The next, and only 'other that we have seen
or heard of, was printed at Walpole, N. H. in
1807. In the adveriisement to this, the pub-
lishers say, " we have complied with the
wishes of a number of persons, who had a de-
sire to keep in remembrance the hero of
Ticonderoga, and the exploits he performed,"
and ^' it is beheved that there is not a copy
for sale in any bookstore in the United States.''
What they said in 1807 of preceding editions,
we say now of all, including also theirs.
Again, " the events of those troublous times,
in which Col. Allen took a conspicuous part,
are rendered doubly interesting, f/-om the
lively, unadorned manner of his own narrative.
As it is deemed that the very words in every
respect, made use of by Col. Allen, would be
more acceptable to the reader than any artifi-
cial decoration of style, we shall almost inva-
riably adhere to th^original." In this revised
edition, we adhere*iot " almost invariably ;"
but altogether to the original.

PREFACE. II

To conclude this preface, the writer would
acknowledge himself indebted for the naate-
rials of the sketch here presented of the begin-
ning and end of Col. Allen's life, to Dr.
William Allen's Biographical and Historical
Dictionary, and to Zadock Thompson's Civil
History of Vermont. F. W. E.

INTRODUCTION

^ Induced by a sense of duty to my country,
and by the application of many worthy friends,
some of whom are of the first characters, I
have concluded to publish the following narra-
tive of the extraordinary scenes of my captiv-
ty, and the discoveries which I made in the
course of the same, of the cruel and relentless
disposition and behaviour of the enemy, to-
wards the prisoners in their power ; from
which the state politician, and every gradation
of character among the people, to the worthy
tiller of the soil, may deduce such inferences
as they shall think proper to carry into prac-
tice. Some men are appointed into office in
these States, who read the history of the cru-
elties of this war, with the same careless in-
difference, as they do the pages of the Roman
history ; nay, some are preferred to places of
trust and profit by the tory influence. The

14 INTRODUCTION.

instances are, I hope, but rare, and it stands
all freemen in hand to prevent their further in-
fluence, which, of all other things, would be
the most baneful to the liberties and happiness
of this country ; and so far as such influence
takes place, robs us of the victory we have
obtained, at the expense of so much blood and
treasure.

I should have exhibited to the public a his-
tory of the facts herein contained, soon after
my exchange, had not the urgency of my pri-
vate affairs, together with more urgent public
business, demanded my attention until a few-
weeks before the date hereof. The reader
will readily discern, that a narrative of this
sort, could not have been written when I was
a prisoner ; my trunk and writings were often
searched under various pretences, so that I
never wrote a syllable," or even- made a rough
minute, whereon I might predicate this narra-
tive, but trusted solely to my memory for the
whole. I have, however, .taken the greatest
care and pains to recollect the facts and arrange
ihem ; but as they touch a variety of characters

INTRODUCTION. 15

and opposing interests, I am sensible that all
will not be pleased with the relation of them.
Be this as it will, I have made truth my in-
variable guide, and pledge my honor on the
truth of the facts.

I have been generous with the British, in
giving them full and ample credit for all their
good usage of any considerable consequence,
which I met among them, during my captivity;
which was easily done, as I met with but little,
in comparison of the bad, which, by reason of
the great plurality of it, could not be contained
in so concise a narration ; so that I am certain,
that I have more fully enumerated the favors
which I received, than the abuses I suffered.
The critic will be pleased to excuse any in-
accuracies in the performance itself, as the
author has, unfortunately, missed of a liberal
education. ETHAN ALLEN.

Bennington, 1779.

NARRATIVE.

Ever sinbe I arrived to a state of man-
hood, and acquainted myself with the general
history of mankind, I have felt a sincere pas-
sion for liberty. The history of nations
doomed to perpetual slavery, in consequence
of yielding up to tyrants their natural-born
liberties, 1 read with a sort of philosophical
horror ; so that the first systematical and
bloody attempt at Lexington, to enslave
America, thoroughly electrified my mind, and
fully determined me to take part with my
country : And while I was wishing for an
opportunity to signalize myself in its behalf,
directions were privately sent to me from the
then colony, now State, of Connecticut, to
raise the Green Mountain Boys ; and if pos-
sible with them to surprise and take the for-
tress Ticonderoga. This enterprise I cheer-
fully undertook ; and, after first guarding all
the several passes that l^d thither, to cut oflf
all intelligence between the garrison and the
country, made a forced march from Benning-
2*

18 NARRATIVE OF

ton, aod arrived at the lake opposite to Ticon-
deroga. on the evening of the 9th day of May,
1775, with two hundred and thirty valiant
Green Mountain Boys ; and it was with the
utmost difficulty that I procured boats to cross
the lake. However, I landed eightyfive
men near the garrison, and sent the boats
back for the rear guard, commanded by Col.
Seth Warner; but the day began to dawn,
and 1 found myself under a necessity to attack
the fort, before the rear could cross the lake ;
and, as it was viewed hazardous, 1 harangued
the officers and soldiers in the manner follow-
ing : " Friends and fellow-soldiers, you have,
for a number of years past, been a scourge
and terror to arbitrary power. Your valor
has been famed abroad, and acknowledged,
as appears by the advice and orders to me
from the General iVssembly of Connecticut,
to surprise and take the garrison now before
us. I now propose to advance before you,
and in person conduct you through the wicket
gate ; for we must this morning either quit
our pretensions to valor, or possess ourselves
of this fortress in a few minutes ; and, in as
much as it is a desperate attempt, which none
but the bravest of men dare undertake, I do
not urge it on any contrary to his will. You
that will undertake voluntarily, poise your
firelocks."

ETHAN ALLEN. 19

The men being at this time drawn up in
three ranks, each poised his firelock,, 1 ordered
them to face to the right, and, at the head of
the center-file, marched them immediately to
the wicket-gate aforesaid, where I found a
sentry posted, who instantly snapped his fusee
at me. I run immediately toward him, and
he retreated through the covered way into
the parade within the garrison, gave a halloo,
and ran under a bomb-proof. Sly party who
followed me into the ibrt, 1 formed on the
parade in such manner as to face the two
barracks which ft^ce'd each other. The gar-
rison being asleep, except the sentries, we
gave three huzzas which greatly surprised
them. One of the sentries made a pass at
one of my officers with a charged bayonet,
and slightly wounded him. My first thought
was to kill him with my sword ; but, in an
instant, altered the design and fury of the
blow to a slight cut on the side of the head ;
upon which he dropped his gurir, and asked
quarter, which 1 readily granted him, and de-
manded of him the place where the com-
manding ofiicer kept ; he shewed me a pair
of stairs in the front of a barrack, on the west
part of the garrison, which led up to a second
story in said barrack, to which 1 immediately
repaired, and ordered the commander, Capt.

20 NARRATIVE OF

Delaplace, to come forth instantly, or 1 would
sacrifice the whole garrison ; at which the
Captain came immediately to the door with
his breeches in his hand, when I ordered him
to deliver to me the Ibrt instantly, who asked
me by what authority I demanded it : I an-
swered him, " In the name of the great Jeho-
vah and the continental Congress."* The
authority of the Congress being very little
known at that time, he began to speak again;
but 1 interrupted him, and with my drawn
sword over his head, again demanded an im-
mediate surrender of the garrison ; to which
he then complied ^ and ordered his men to be
forthVvith paraded without arms, as he had
given up the garrison. In the mean time
some of my officers had given orders, and in
consequence thereof, sundry of the barrack
doors were beat down, and about one third
pf the garrison imprisoned, which consisted of
the said commander, a Lieut. Feltham, a con-
ductor of artillery, a gunner, two sergeants,
and forty-four rank and file ; about one hun-
dred pieces of cannon^ one thirteen-inch mor-
tar, and a number of swivels. This surprise
was carried into execution in the gray of the
morning of the tenth day of May, 1775. The
sun seemed to rise that morning with a supe-
rior lustre ; and Ticonderoga and its depend-

ETHXN ALLEN. 21

encies smiled on its conquerors, who tossed
round the flowing bowl, and wished success
to Congress, and the Hberty and freedom of
America. Happy it was for me, at that time,
that the then future pages of the book of fate,
which afterwards unfolded a miserable scene
of two years and eight months' imprisonment,
was "hid from my view. But to return to my
narration. Col. Warner, with the rear guard,
crossed the lake, and joined me early in the
rhorning, whom I sent oflf, without loss of
time, with about one hundred men, to take
possession of Crown Point, which was gar-
risoned with a sergeant and twelve men;
which he took possession of the same day, as
also upwards of one hundred pieces of can-
non. But one thing now remained to be
done, to make ourselves complete masters of
Lake Champlain. This was to possess our-
selves of a sloop of war, which was then lay-
ing at St. Johns ; to effect which, it was
agreed in a council of war, to arm and man
out a certain schooner, which lay at South
Bay, and that Captain (now General) Arnold
should command her, and that I should com-
mand the batteaux.

The necessary preparations being made,
we set sE^il from Ticonderoga in quest of the
sloop, which was much larger, and carried

22 NARRATIVE OF

more guns and heavier metal than the schoon-
er. General Arnold, with the schooner, sail-
ing faster than the batteaux, arrived at St.
Johns ; and by surprise possessed himself of
the sloop, before I could arrive with the bat-
teaux. He also made prisoners of a sergeant
and twelve men, who were garrisoned at that
place.

It is worthy of remark, that as soon as Gen.
Arnold had secured the prisoners on board,
and had made preparation for sailing, the
wind, which but a few hours before was fresh
in the south, and well served to carry us to
St. John's, now shifted, and came fresh from
the north ; and in one about one hour's time,
General Arnold sailed with the prize and
schooner for Ticonderoga. When I met
him with my party, within a few miles of St.
John's, he saluted me with a discharge of
cannon, when I returned with a volley of
small arms. This being repeated three times,
I went on board the sloop with my party,
where several loyal Congress healths were
drank. We were now masters of lake Cham-
plain, and the garrisons depending thereon.

This success I viewed of consequence in
the scale of American politics ; for if a settle-
ment between the then colonies and Great
Britain, had soon taken place, it would have

ETHAN ALLEN. 23

been easy to have restored these acquisitions;
but viewing the then future consequences of a
cruel war, as it has really proved to be, and
the command of that lake, garrisons, artillery,
&,c., must be viewed to be of signal import-
ance to the American cause, and it is marvel-
Joiis to me that we ever lost the command of
it. Nothing but the taking of a Burgoyne,
with a whole British army, could, in my
opinion, atone for it ; and notwithstanding
such an extraordinary victory, we must be
obliged to regain the command of that lake
again, be the cost what it will. By doing
this, Canada will easily be brought into union
and confederacy with the United States of
America. Such an event would put it out of
the power of the western tribes of Indians to
carry on a war with us, and be a solid and
durable bar against any further inhuman bar-
barities committed on our frontier inhabitants,
by cruel and blood-thirsty savages ; for it is
impossible for them to carry on a war except
they are supported by the trade and commerce
of some civilized nation ; which to them
would be' impracticable, did Canada compose
a part of the American empire.

Early in the fall of the year, the little army,
under the command of the Generals Schuyler
and Montgomery, were ordered to advance

24 NARRATIVE OF

into Ciinada. I was at Ticonderoga when
this order arrived: and the Gen., with most
of the field officers, requested me to attend
them in the expedition ; and though at that
time I had no commission from Congress,
yet they engaged me, that I should be con-
sidered as an officer the same as though I
had a commission ; and should, as occasion
might require, command certain detachments
of the army. This I considered as an hon-
orable offisr, and did not hesitate to comply
with it, and advanced with the army to the
isle Auix Noix ; from whence I was ordered
by the General to go in company with Major
Brown, and certain interpreters, through the
woods into Canada, with letters to the Cana-
dians, and to let them know that the design
of the army was only against the English
garrisons, and not the country, their liberties,
or religion. And having, through much dan-
ger, negotiated this business, . I returned to
the isle Auix Noix the fore part of Septem-
ber, when Gen. Schuyler returned to Albany ;
and in consequence the command devolved
upon Gen. Montgomery, whom I assisted in
laying a line of circumvallation round the for-
tress St. John's. After which I was ordered
by the General to make a second tour into
Canada, upon nearly the same design as be

ETHAN ALLEN. 25

fore ; and withal to observe the disposition,
designs and movements of the inhabitants of
the country.

This reconnoitre I undertook with reluc-
tance, choosing rather to assist at the siege of
St. John's, which was then closely invested ;
but my esteem for the General's person, and
opinion of him as a politician and brave officer,
induced me to proceed.

I passed through all the parishes on the
river Sorrel, to a parish at the mouth of the
same, which is called by the same name,
preaching politics ; and went from thence
across the Sorrel to the river St. Lawrence,
and up the river through the parishes to Lon-
gale, and so far met with good success as an •
itinerant. In this round, my guard were Cana-
dians, my interpreter and some k\v attendants
excepted. On the morning of the 24th day
of September, I set out with my guard of
about eighty men, from Longale, to go to
Lapraier ; from thence I determined to go to
Gen. Montgomery's camp ; but had not ad-
vanced two miles before I met with Major
Brown, who has since been advanced to the
rank of a Colonel, who desired me to halt,
saying that he had something of importance to
communicate to me and my confidants, upon
which I halted the party, and went into an
3

25 NARRATIVE OF

house, and took a private room with him and
several of my associates, where Col. Brown
proposed, that " Provided I would return to
Longale, and procure some canoes, so as to
cross the river St. Lawrence, a Httle north
of Montreal, he would cross it a little to th3
south of the town, with near two hundred
men, as he had boats sufficient ; and that we
would make ourselves masters of Montreal.''
This plan was readily approved by me and
those in Council ; and in consequence of
which I returned to Longale, collected a few
canoes, and added about thirty English Amer-
icans to my party, and crossed the river in the
night of the 24th, agreeable to the before pro-
posed plan. My whole party, at this time,
consisted of about one hundred and ten men,
near eighty of whom were Canadians. We
were the most of the night crossing the river,
as we had so few canoes that they had to pass
and re-pass three times, to carry my party
across. Soon after day break, I set a guard
between me and the town, with special orders
to let no person whatever pass or re-pass
them, and another guard on the orher end of
the road, with like directions; in fhe mean
time, I reconnoitred the best ground to make
a defence, expecting Col. Brown's party were
landing on the other side of the town, he hav-

ETHAN ALLEN. 27

ing the day before agreed to give three huz-
zas with his men early in the morning, which
signal I was to return, that we might each
know that both parties were landed ; but the
sun by this time being near two hours high,
and the sign failing, I began to conclude my-
self to be in a premunire, and would have
crossed the river back again, but 1 knew the
enemy would have discovered such an at-
tempt ; and as the recould not more than one,
third part of my troops cross at one time, the
other two-thirds would of course fall into
their hands. This I could not reconcile to
my own feelings as a man, much less as an
officer ; I therefore concluded to maintain
the ground, if possible, and all to fare alike.
In consequence of this resolution, I despatched
two messengers, one to Lapraire to Colonel
Brown, and the other to Lasumption, a French
settlement, to Mr. Walker, who was in our
interest, requesting their speedy assistance;
giving them at the same time to understand
my critical situation. In the mean time, sun-
dry persons came to my guards, pretending
to be friends, but were by them taken prison-
ers and brought to me. These I ordered to
confinement, till their friendship could be fur-
ther confirmed ; for I was jealous they were
spies, as they proved to be afterwards. One

28 NARRATIVE OF

of the principal of them making his escape,
exposed the weakness of my party, which
was the final cause of my misfortune ; for I
have been since informed that Mr. Walker,
agreeable to my desire, exerted himself, and
had raised a considerable number of men for
my assistance, which brought him into diffi-
culty afterwards : but upon hearing of my
misfortune, disbanded them again.

The town of Montreal was in a great tu-
mult. Gen. Carlton and the royal party made
every preparation to go on board their vessels
of force, as I was afterwards informed, but
the spy escaping from my guard to the town,
occasioned an alteration in their policy, and
emboldened Gen. Carlton to send the force,
which he had there collected, out against me.
I had previously chosen my ground, but when
I saw the number of the enemy, as they sal-
lied out of the town, I perceived it would be
a day of trouble, if not of rebuke ; but I had
no chance to flee, as Montreal was situated
on an island, and the river St. Lawrence cut
off m.y communication to Gen. Montgomery's
camp. I encouraged my soldiery to bravely
defend themselves, that we should soon have
help, and that we should be able to keep
the ground, if no more. This, and much
more I affirmed with the greatest seeming

ETHAN ALLEN. 29

assurance, and which in reality 1 thought to
be in some degree probable.

The enemy consisted of not more than forty
regular troops, together with a mixed multi-
tude, chiefly Canadians, with a number of
English who lived in the town, and some In-
dians ; in all to the number of near five hun-
dred.

The reader will notice that most of my
party were Canadians ; indeed it was a mot-
ley parcel of soldiery which composed both
parties. HoweveV, the enemy began the at-
tack from wood piles, ditches, buildings, and
such like places, at a considerable distance,
and I returned the fire from a situation more
than equally advantageous. The attack began
between two- and three of the clock in the
afternoon, just before which 1 ordered a vol-
unteer, by the name of Richard Young, with
a detachment of nine men as a flank guard,
which, under the cover of the bank of the
river, could not only annoy the enemy, but at
the same time, serve as a flank guard to the
left of the main body.

The fire continued for some time on both
sides ; and I was confident that such a remote
method of attack could not carry the ground,
provided it should be continued until night.
but near half the body of the enemy began to
3*

30 NARRATIVE OF

flank round to my right ; upon which I or-
dered a volunteer, by the name of John Du'
gan, who lived many years in Canada, and
understood the French language, to detach
about fifty of the Canadians, and post himself
at an advantageous ditch, which was on my
right, to prevent my being surrounded.

He advanced with the detachment, but in-
stead of occupying the post, made his escape,
as did likewise Mr. Young upon the left,
with their detachments. I ^oon perceived that
the enemy was in possession of the ground
which Dugan should have occupied. At this
time I had but about fortyfive men with me ;
some of whom were wounded.

The enemy kept closing round me, nor
was it in my power to prevent it, by which
means my situation, which was advantageous
in the first part of the attack, ceased to be so
in the last ; and being almost entirely sur-
rounded with such vast, unequal numbers, I
ordered a retreat, but found that those of the
enemy, who were of the country, and their
Indians, could run as fast as my men, though
the regulars could not.

Thus I retreated near a mile, and some of
the enemy, with the savages, kept flanking
me, and others crowded hard in the rear. In
fine I expected in a very short time lo try the

ETHAN ALLEN. 3l

world of spirits, for I was apprehensive that
no quarter would be given to me, and there-
fore had determined to sell my my life as dear
as I could.

One of the enemy's officers boldly pressing
in the rear, discharged his fusee at me ; the
ball whistled near me, as did many others that
day. I returned the salute, and missed him,
as running had put us both out of breath ; for
T conclude we were not frighted. 1 then sa-
luted him with my tongue in a harsh manner,
and told him that inasmuch as his numbers
were so far superior to mine, I would surren-
der, provided I could be treated with honor,
and be assured of good quarter for myself and
the men who were with me ; and he answered
I should ; another officer coming up directly
after, confirmed the treaty ; upon which I
agreed to surrender with my party, which then
consisted of thirty-one e|Fective men, and
seven wounded. I ordered them to ground
their arms, which they did.

The officer I capitulated with, then di-
rected me and my party to advance towards
him, which was done. I handed him my
sword, and in half a minute after, a savage,
part of whose head was shaved, being almost
naked and painted, with feathers intermixed
with the hair of the other side of his head,

S2 NARRATIVE OF

came running to me with an incredible swift-
ness ; he seemed to advance with more than
mortal speed ; as he approached near me, his
helHsh visage was beyond all description ;
snake eyes appear innocent in comparison of
his ; his features extorted ; malice, death,
murder, and the wrath of devils and damned
spirits are the emblems of his countenance ;
and in less than twelve feet of me, presented
his firelock.

At the instant ot his present, I twitched
the officer to whom I gave my sword between
me and the savage ; but he flev/ round with
great fury, trying to single me out to shoot
me without kilHng the officer ; but by this
time I was near as nimble as he, keeping the
officer in such a position that his danger was
my defence.

But in less than half a minute, I was at-
tacked hy just such another imp of hell.
Then 1 made the officer fly round with incred-
ible velocity for a few seconds of time, when
I perceived a Canadian (who had lost one eye,
as appeared afterwards) taking my part against
the savages : and in an instant an Irishman
came to my assistance with a fixed bayonet,
and drove away the fiends, swearing by Jasus
he would kill them. This tragic scene com-
posed my mind. The escaping from so aw-

ETHAN ALLEN. 33

ful a death made even imprisonment happy ;
the more so as my conquerors on the field
treated me with great civility and politeness.

The regular officers said that they were
very happy to see Col. Allen. I answered
them, that f should rather choose to have seen
them at Gen. Montgomery's camp. The
gentlemen replied that they gave full credit
to what I said, and as I walked to the town,
which was, as I should guess, more than two
miles, a British officer walked at my right
hand, and one of the French noblesse at my
left ; the latter of which, in the action, had
his eyebrow carried away by a glancing shot,
but was nevertheless very merry and facetious,
and no abuse was offered me till I came to
the barrack yard at Montreal, where I met
Gen. Prescott, who asked me my name,
which I told him.

He then asked me, whether I was that Col.
Allen who took Ticonderoga. I told him
I was the very man. Then he shook his
cane over my head, calling many hard names,
among which he frequently used the word
Hebel, and put himself into a" great rage. I
told him he would do well not to cane me,
for I was not accustomed to it, and shook my
fist at him, telling him that that was the beetle
of mortality for him, if he offered to strike ;.

34 NARRATIVE OF

upon which Capt. M'CloQd of the British,
pulled him by the skirt, and whispered to him
(as he afterwards told me) to this import ;
that it was inconsistent with his honor to strike
a prisoner. He then ordered a Serjeant's
command with fixed bayonets to come for-
ward and kill thirteen Canadians, which were
included in the treaty aforesaid.

It cut me to the heart to see the Canadians
in so hard a case, in consequence of their
having been true to me ; they were wringing
their hands, saying their prayers, as I con-
cluded, and expected immediate death. I
therefore stepped between the executioners
and the Canadians, opened my clothes, and
told Gen. Prescott to thrust his bayonet into
my breast, for I was the sole cause of the
Canadians taking up arms.

The guard in the mean time, rolling their
eye balls from the General to me, as though
impatient, waiting his dread commands to
sheath their bayonets in my heart. I could
however, plainly discern that he was in a
suspense and quandary about the matter.
This gave me additional hopes of succeeding ;
for my design was not to die, but save the
Canadians by a finesse. The General stood
a minute, when he made me the following re-
ply : "/ will not execute you now , but you

ETHAN ALLEN. 35

shall grace a halter at Tyburn , G — d d — n

ye.''

I remember I disdained his mentioning
such a place. I was, notwithstanding, a little
inwardly pleased with the expression, as it
significantly conveyed to me the idea of post-
poning the present appearance of death ;
besides his sentence was by no means final,
as to ''^ gracing a halter ^'^ although I had
anxiety about it after I landed in England, as
the reader will find in the course of this his-
tory. General Prescott then ordered one of
his officers to take me on board the Gaspee
schooner of war, and confine me, hands and
feet, in irons, which was done the same after-
noon I was taken.

The action continued an hour and three
quarters by the watch, and I know not to this
day how many of my men were killed, though
I am certain there were but few. If I re-
member right, seven were wounded ; one of
them, William Stewart by name, was wounded
by a savage with a tomahawk, after he was
taken prisoner and disarmed, but was rescued
by some of the generous enemy; and so far
recovered his wounds, that he afterwards went
with the other prisoners to England.

Of the enemy, were killed a Major Garden,
who had been wounded in eleven different

36 NARRATIVE OF^

battles, and an eminent merchant, Patterson,
of Montreal, and some others, but I never
knew their whole loss, as their accounts were
different. I am apprehensive that it is rare,
that so much ammunition was expended and
so little execution done by it ; though such of
my party as stood the ground behaved with
great fortitude, much exceeding that of the
enemy, but were not the best of marksmen,
and I am apprehensive were all killed or taken;
the wounded were all put into the hospital at
Montreal, and those that were not, were put
on board of different vessels in the river, and
shackled together by pairs, viz., two men
fastened together by one handcuff, being
closely fixed to one wrist of each of them,
and treated with the greatest severity, nay, as
criminals.

I now come to the description of the irons,
which were put on me. The handcuff was
of a common size, and form, but my leg irons,
I should imagine, would weigh thirty pounds ;
the bar was eight feet long, and very substan-
tial ; the shackles which encompassed my
ancles, were very tight. I was told by the
officer who put them on, that it was the king's
plate, and I heard other of their officers say,
that it would weigh forty weight. The irons
were so close upon my ancles, that I could

ETHAN ALLEN. 3/

not lie down in any other manner than on my
back. I was put into the lowest and most
wretched part of the vessel, where I got the
favor of a chest to sit on ; the same answered
for my bed at night, and having procured some
little blocks of the guard, who, day and night,
with fixed bayonets, watched over me, to lay
under each end of the large bar of my leg
irons, to preserve my ancles from galling,
while I set on the chest, or lay back on the
same, though most of the time, night and day,
I set on it ; but at length having a desire to
lay down on my side, which the closeness of
the irons forbid, I desired the Captain to loosen
them for that purpose, but was denied the
favor. The Captain's name was Royal, who
did not seem to be an ill-natured man ;' but
oftentimes said, that his express orders were
to treat me with such severity, which was
disagreeable to his own feelings ; nor did he
ever insult me, though many others, who came
on board, did. One of the officers, by the
name of Bradley, was very generous to me ;
he would often send me victuals from his own
table ; nor did a day fail, but that he sent me
a good drink of grog.

The reader is now invited back to the time
I was put into irons. I requested the privi-
• tege to write to General Prescott, which was
4

38

NARRATIVE OF

granted. I reminded him of the kind and
generous manner of my treatment to the pris-
oners I took at Ticonderoga ; the injustice
and ungentleman-like usage, which I had met
with from him, and demanded gentleman-like
usage, but received no answer from him. I
soon after wrote to General Carlton, which
met the same success. In the meanwhile
many of those who were permitted to see me
were very insulting.

I was confined in the manner I have rela-
ted, on board the Gaspee schooner, about six
weeks ; during which time I was obliged to
throw out plenty of extravagant language which
answered certain purposes, at that time,
better than to grace a history.

To give an instance, upon being insulted, in
a fit of anger I twisted off a nail with my teeth,
which I took to be a ten-penny nail ; it went
through the mortise of the bar of my handcuff,
and at the same time I swaggered over those
who abused me ; particularly a Doctor Dace,
who told me that 1 was outlawed by New
York, and deserved death for several years
past ; was at last fully ripened for the halter,
and in a fair way to obtain it.

When I challenged him, he excused him-
self in consequence, as he said, of my being
a criminal. But I flung such a flood of Ian-

ETHAN ALLEN. 39

gu%e at him that it sliocked him and the spec-
tators, for my anger was very great. I heard
one say, damn him, can he eat iron ? After
that a small padlock was fixed to the handcuff
instead of the nail ; and as they were mean-
spirited in their treatment to me, so it appeared
to me, that they were equally timorous and
cowardly.

I was sent with the prisoners taken with
me to an armed vessel in the river, which lay
off against Quebec, under the command of
Capt. M'Cloud of the British, who treated
me in a very generous and obliging manner,
and according to my rank ; in about twenty-
four hours I bid him farewell with regret ;
but my good fortune still continued. The
name of the Captain of the vessel I was put
on board, was Littlejohn ; who, with his
officers, behaved in a pohte, generous, and
friendly manner. I Hved with them in the
cabin, and fared on the best ; my irons being
taken off, contrary to the order he had received
from the commanding officer ; but Capt.
Littlejohn swore that a brave man should not
be used as a rascal on board his ship.

Thus I found myself in possession of hap-
piness once more, and the evils I had lately
suffered gave n^e an uncommon relish for
it.

40 NARRATIVE OF

Captain Littlejohn used to g;o to Qu|(>ec
every day, in order to pay his respects to cer-
tain gentlemen and ladies ; being there on a
certain day, he happened to meet with some
disagreeable treatment, as he imagined, from
a Lieutenant of a man of war, and one word
brought on another, until the Lieutenant chal-
lenged him to a duel on the plains of Abra-
ham. Capt. Littlejohn was a gentleman who
entertained a high sense of honor, and could
do no less than accept the challenge.

At nine o'clock the next morning they were
to fight. The Captain returned in the even-
ing, and acquainted his Lieutenant and me
with the affair. His Lieutenant was a high-
blooded Scotchman as well as himself, who
replied to his Captain that he should not want
for a second. With this I interrupted him,
and gave the Captain to understand, that since
an opportunity had presented, I would be
glad to testify my gratitude to him, by acting
the part of a faithful second, on which he gave
me his hand, and said that he wanted no better
man. ^

Says he, I am a king's officer, and you a
prisoner under my care ; you must therefore
go with me to the place appointed in disguise,
and added further, " You must engage to me,
upon the honor of a gentleman, that whether

ETHAN ALLEN. 41

I d^or live, or whatever happens (provided
you Hve) that you will return to my Lieuten-
ant on board this ship."

All this I solemnly engaged him. The
combatants were to discharge each a pocket
pistol, and then to fall on with their iron-
hiked muckle whangers ; and one of that sort
was allotted for me ; but some British officers
who interposed in the morning, settled the
controversy without fighting.

Now having enjoyed eight or nine days'
happiness, from the polite and generous treat-
ment of Capt. Littlejohn and his officers, I
was obliged to bid them farewell, parting with
them in as friendly a manner as we had lived
together, which, to the best of my memory,
was the eleventh of November. When a de-
tachment of General Arnold's little army ap-
peared on Point Levy, opposite Quebec, who
had performed an extraordinary march through
a wilderness country, with design to have
surprised the capital of Canada, I was then
taken on board a vessel called the Adamant,
together with the prisoners taken with me,
and put under the power of an English mer-
chant from London, whose name was Brook
Watson ; a man of malicious and cruel dispo-
sition, and who was probably excited in the

exercise of his malevolence by a junto of

4#

42 NARARTIVE OP

tories, who sailed with him to Eng^^d ;
among whom were Colonel Guy Johnson,
Colonel Gloss, and their attendants and asso-
ciates, to the number of about thirty.

All the ship's crew. Colonel Closs, in his
personal behavior excepted, behaved towards
the prisoners with that spirit of bitterness,
which is the peculiar characteristic of tories,
when they have the friends of America in their
power, measuring their loyalty to "the English
King by the barbarity, fraud, and deceit which
they exercise towards the whigs.

A small place in the vessel, enclosed with
white oak plank, was assigned for the prison-
ers, and for me among the rest. I should
imagine that it was not more than twenty feet
one way, and twentytwo the other. Into this
place we" were all, to the number of thirty-
four, thrust and handcuffed, two prisoners
more being added to our number, and were
provided with two excrement tubs. In this
circumference we were obliged to eat and
perform the office of Evacuation, during the
voyage to England ; and were insulted by ev-
ery blackguard sailor and tory on board, in
the cruellest manner ; but what is the most
surprising is, that not one of us died in the
passage.

ETHAN ALLEN. 43

^hen I was first ordered to go into the
filthy enclosure, through a small sort of door,
I positively refused, and endeavored to reason
the before-named Brook Watson out of a con-
duct so derogatory to every sentiment of
honor and humanity, but all to no purpose,
ray men being forced in the den already ; and
the rascal who had the charge of the prisoners,
commanded me to go immediately in among
the rest.

He further added, that the place was good
enough for a rebel ; that it was impertinent
for a capital offender to talk of honor or hu-
manity— that any thing short of a halter was
too good for me — and that, that would be my
portion soon after I landed in England — for
which purpose only I was sent thither.

About the same time a Lieutenant among
the tories insulted me in a grievous manner,
saying that I ought to have been executed for
my rebellion against New York, and spit in
my face ; upon which, though I was hand-
cuflfed, I sprang at him with both hands, and
knocked him partly down, But he scrambled
along into the cabin, and I after him — there
he got under the protection of some men with
fixed bayonets, who were ordered to make
ready to drive me into the place before men-
tioned.

44 NARRATIVE OF

1 challenged him to fight, notwithstaHling
the impediments that were on my hands, and
had the exalted pleasure to see the rascal trem-
ble for fear. His name I have forgotten, but
Watson ordered his guard to get me into the
place with the other prisoners, dead or alive ;
and I had almost as leave die as do it, stand-
ing it out till they environed me round with
bayonets — and brutish, prejudiced, abandoned
wretches they were, from whom I could ex-
pect nothing but death or wounds.

However, I told them that they were good
honest fellows — that I could not blame them
— that 1 was only in dispute with a calico
merchant, who knew not how to behave to-
wards a gentleman of the military establish-
ment. This was spoke rather to appease
them for my own preservation, as well as to
treat Watson with contempt ; but still 1 found
that they were determined to force me into
the wretched circumstances, which their pre-
judiced, and depraved minds had prepared for
me. Therefore rather than die, I submitted
to their indignities, being drove with bayonets
into the filthy dungeon, with the other prison-
ers, where we were denied fresh water, except
a small allowance which was very inadequate
to our wants — and in consequence of the
stench of the place, each of us was soon fol-

ETHAN ALLEN. 4'5

lowed with a diarrhoe and fever, which oc-
casioned an intolerable thirst. When we
asked for water, we were most commonly, in-
stead of obtaining it, insulted and derided —
and to add to all the horrors of the place, it
was so dark that we could not see each other,
and were overspread with body lice. We
had, notwithstanding these severities, full al-
lowance of salt provisions, and a gill of rum
per day — the latter of which was of the utmost
service to us, and probaWy was the means of
saving several of our lives.

About forty days we existed in this man-
ner, when the land's end of England was dis-
covered from the mast head — soon after
which the prisoners were taken from their
gloomy abode, being permitted to see the
light of the sun, and breath fresh air, which
to us was very refreshing. The day follow-
ing we landed at Falmouth.

A few days before I was taken prisoner, I
shifted my clothes, by which I happened to
be taken in a Canadian dress, viz., a short
fawn skin jacket, double breasted, an under-
vest and breeches of fagathy, worsted stock-
ings, a decent pair of shoes, two plain shirts,
and a red worsted cap. This was all the
clothing I had, in which I made my appear-
ance in England.

4G NARRATIVE OF

When the prisoners were landed, multitudes
of the citizens of Falmouth, excited by curi-
osity, crowded together to see us, which was
equally gratifying to us. I saw numbers of
people on the top of houses, and the rising
adjacent grounds were covered with them of
both sexes. The throng was so great that
the king's officers were obliged to draw their
swords, and force a passage to Pendennis
castle, which was near a mile from the town
where we were closely confined, in conse-
quence of orders from Gen. Carlton, who
then commanded in Canada.

The rascally Brook Watson then set out
for London in great haste, expecting the re-
ward of his zeal ; but the ministry received'
him, as I have been since informed, rather ^
coolly — for the minority in parliament took
advantage, arguing that the opposition of'
America to Great Britain, was not a rebellion. 6
If it is, (say they) why do you not execute
Col. Allen according to law .'' But the ma-
jority argued that I ought to be executed, and'
that the opposition was really a rebellion —
but that policy obliged them not to do it,
inasmuch as the Congress had then most pris- '
oners in their power — so that my being sent
to England for the purpose of being executed,'
and necessity restraining them, was rather a^

ETHAN ALLEN. 47

foil on their laws and authority, and they con-
sequently disapproved ofmy being sent thither.
But I never had heard the least hint of those
debates in parliament, or of the working of
their policy, until some time after I left Eng-
land.

Consequently the reader will readily con-
ceive I was anxious about my preservation,
knowing that I was in the power of a haughty
and cruel nation, considered as such. There-
fore the first proposition which I determined
in my own mind was, that humanity and moral
suasion would not be consulted in the deter-
mining of my fate. And those that daily
came in great numbers, out of curiosity to see
me, both gentle and simple united in this,
that I would be hanged. A gentleman from
America, by the name of Temple, and who
was friendly to me, just whispered me in the
ear, and told me that bets were laid in Lon-
don, that I would be executed — he likewise
privately gave me a guinea, but durst say but
little to me.

However, agreeable to my first negative
proposition, that moral virtue would not influ-
ence my destiny, I had recourse to stratagem,
which I was in hopes would move in the cir-
cle of their policy. I requested of the com-
mander of the castle the privilege of writing

4S NARRATIVE OF

to Congress, who, after consulting with an
officer that lived in town, of a superior rank,
permitted me to write. I wrote, in the fore
part of the letter, a short narrative of my ill-
treatment — but withal let them know, that
though I was treated as a criminal in England,
and continued in irons, together with those
taken with me, yet it was in consequence of
the orders which the commander of the castle
received from Gen. Carlton— and therefore
desired Congress to desist from matters of
retahation, until they should know the result
of the government at England, respecting their
treatment towards me, and the prisoners with
me, and govern themselves accordingly, with
a particular request, that if retaliation should
be found necessary, that it might be exercised
not according to the smallness of my character
in America, but in proportion to the import-
ance of the cause for which I suffered. This
is, according to my present recollection, the
substance of the letter subscribed To the il-
lustrious continental Cong-ress. This letter

o

was wrote with a view that it should be sent
to the ministry at London, rather than to Con-
gress, with a design to intimidate the haughty
English government, and screen my nepk from
the halter.

ETHAN ALLEN. 49

The next day the officer, from whom I
obtained license to write, came to see me,
and frowned on me on account of the impu-
dence of the letter, as he phrased it, and fur-
ther added, " Do you think that we are fools
in England, and would send your letter to
Congress, with instructions to retaliate on our
own people. I have sent your letter to Lord
North."

This gave me inward satisfaction, though I
rarefully concealed it with a pretended re-
sentment, for I found I had come Yankee
over him, and that the letter had gone to the
identical person I designed it for, though I
have not heard any thing of the letter since.

My personal treatment by Lieut.. Hamilton,
who commanded the castle, was very gener-
ous. He sent me every day a fine breakfast
and dinner from his own table, and a bottle of
good wine. Another aged gentleman, whose
name I cannot recollect, sent me a good sup-
per. But there was no distinction in public
support between me and the privates — we all
lodged on a sort of Dutch bunks, in one com-
mon apartment, and were allowed straw.
The privates were well supplied with fresh
prevision, and with me took effectual mea-
sures to rid ourselves of lice.
6

50 NARRATIVE OF

I could not but feel, inwardly, extremely
anxious for my fate. This I however con-
cealed from the prisoners, as well as from the
enemy, who were perpetually shaking the
halter at me. I nevertheless treated them
with scorn and contempt ; and having sent
my letter to the ministry, could conceive of
nothing more in my power but to keep up my
spirits, behave in a daring, soldier-like man-
ner, that I might exhibit a good sample of
American fortitude. Such a conduct I judged
would have a more probable tendency to my
preservation than concession and timidity.

This, therefore, was my deportment, and 1
had lastly determined, in my own mind, that
if a cruel death must inevitably be my portion,
I would face it undaunted, and though 1 greatly
rejoice that I have returned to my country
and friends, and to see the power and pride
of Great Britain humbled — yet I am confident
I could then die without the least appearance
of dismay.

I now clearly recollect that my mind was
so resolved, that I would not have trembled
or shown the least fear, as I was sensible it
could not alter my fate, nor do more than re-
proach my memory, make my last act despi-
cable to my enemies, and eclipse the other
actions of my life. For I reasoned thus, that

ETHAN ALLEN. 51

nothing was more common than for men to
die, with their friends round them, weeping
and lamenting over them, but not able to help
them, which was in reality not different in the
consequence of it from such a death as I was
apprehensive of. And as death was the natural
consequence of animal life, to which the laws
of nature subject mankind, to be timorous and
uneasy as to the event or manner of it, was
inconsistent with the character of a philoso-
pher or soldier. The cause I was engaged
in I ever viewed worthy hazarding my life
for, nor was I, at the most critical moments
of trouble, sorry that I engaged in it — and as
to the world of spirits, though I knew nothing
of the mode or manner of it, expected never-
theless, when I should arrive at such a world,
that I should be as well treated as other gen-
tlemen of my merit.

Among the great numbers of people who
came to the castle to see the prisoners, some
gentlemen told me that they had come fifty
miles on purpose to see me, and desired to
ask me a number of questions, and to make
[ree with me in conversation. I gave for
answer, that I chose freedom in every sense
of the word. Then one of them asked me
what my occupation in life had been ^ I an-

62 NARRATIVE OF

svvered him, that in my younger days I had
studied divinity, but was a conjuror by pro-
fession. He replied that I conjured wrong
at the time I was taken ; and I was obhged to
own, that I mistook a figure at that time, but
that I had conjured them out of Ticonderoga.
This was a place of great notoriety in Eng-
land, so that the joke seemed to go in ray
favor.

It was a common thing for me to be taken
out of close confinement, into a spacious green
in the castle, or rather parade, where numbers
of gentlemen and ladies were ready to see and
hear me.

I often entertained such audiences with
harangues on the impracticability of Great
Britain's conquering the then colonies of
America. At one of these times I asked a
gentleman for a bowl of punch, and he ordered
his servant to bring it, which he did, and
offered it me, but I refused, to take it from the
hand of his servant. He then gave it to me
with his own hand, refusing to drink with me
in consequence of my being a state criminal.
However, I look the punch and drank it all
down at one draught, and handed the gentle-
man the bowl. This made the spectators as
well as myself merry.

ETHAN ALLEN. 53

I expatiated on American freedom. This
gained the resentment of .a young beardless
gentleman of the company, who gave himself
very great airs, and replied, that he '' knew
the Americans very well, and was certain that
they could not bear the smell of powder."
I replied., that I accepted it as a challenge,
and was ready to convince him on the spot
that an American could bear the smell of
powder — at which he answered that he should
not put himself on a par with me. I then
demanded of him to treat the character of the
Americans with due respect. He answered
that I was an Irishman— but I assured him
that 1 was a full blooded Yankee, and in fine,
bantered him so much that he left me in pos-
session of the field, and the kugh went against
him. Two clergymen^ came to see me, and
inasmuch as they behaved with civility, I re-
turned them the same. We discoursed on
several parts of moral philosophy and Christ-
ianity— and they seemed to be surprised that
I should be acquainted with such topics, or
that I should understand a syllogism or regu-i
lar mood of argumentation. I am apprehen-
sive my Canadian dress contributed not a lit-
tle to the surprise, and excitement of curios-
ity. To see a gentleman in England, regu-
5*

64 NARRATIVE OF

larly dressed and well behaved, would be no
sight at all — but such a rebel, as they were
pleased to call me, it is probable was never
before seen in England.

The prisoners were landed at Falmouth a
few clays before Christmas, and ordered on
.board of the Solebay frigate, Capt. Symonds,
the eighth day of January, 1776, when our
hand irons were taken off. This remove
was in consequence (as I have since been in-
formed) of a, writ of habeas corpus, which
bad been procured by some gentlemen in En-
gland, in order to obtain me my liberty.

The Solebay, with sundry other men of
war, and about forty transports, rendezvoused
at the cove of Cork in Ireland, to take in
provision and water.

When we were f^'st brought on board,
Capt. Symonds ordered all the prisoners, and
most of the hands on board, to go on deck,
and caused to be read in their hearing a cer-
tain code of laws, or rules for the regulation
and ordering of their behavior ; and then in a
sovereign manner, ordered the pnsoners, me
in particular, off the deck, and never to come
on it again ; for, said he, this is a place for
gentlemen to walk. So I went off, an officer
following me, who told me, that he would
show me the place allotted for me, and took

ETHAN ALLEK. 56

me down to the cable tier, saying to me, this
is your place. i

Prior to this I had taken cold, by which I
was in an ill slate of health, and did not say
much to the officer ; but stayed there that
night, consulted my policy, and found 1 was
in an evil case ; that a Captain of a man of
war was more arbitrary than a King, as he
could view his territory with a look of his
eye, and a movement of his finger command-
ed obedience, — I felt myself more desponding
than I had done at any time before ; for I
concluded it to be a governmental scheme, to
do that clandestinely, which policy forbid to be
done under sanction of public justice and law.

However, two days after I shaved and
cleaned myself as well as I could, and went
on deck. The Captain spoke to me in a great
rage, and said, " Did 1 not order you not to
come on deck ?" I answered him, that at the
same time he said, " That it was the place
for gentlemen to walk :" That I was Col.
Allen, but had not been properly introduced
to him. He repHed, " G — d damn you, Sir,
be careful not to walk the same side of the
deck that I do." This gave me encourage-
ment, and ever after that I walked in the man-
ner he had directed, except when he, at cer-
tain times afterwards, ordered me off in a pas-

56 NARRATIVF, OF

sion, ; I would then directly afterwards go
on again, telling him to command his slaves,
that I was a gentleman, and had a right to
walk the deck ; yet when he expressly or-
dered me off, I obeyed, not out of obedience
to him, but to set an example to his ship's
crew, who ought to obey him.

To walk to the windward side of the deck,
is, according to custom, the prerogative of the
Captain of the man of war, though he often-
times, nay commonly walks with his Lieu-
tenants, when no strangers are I^y. When a
Captain from some other man of w^ar comes
on board, the Captains walk to the windward
side, and the other gentlemen to the leeward.

It was but a few nights I lodged in the cable
tire, before I gain{;d an acquaintance with the
master of arms. Plis name was Gillegan, an
Irishman, who was a generous and well dis-
posed man, and in a friendly manner made me
a proffer of living with him in a little birth,
which was allotted him bctw^een decks, and
enclosed with canvas ; his preferment on
board was about equal to that of a serjeant in
a regiment. I was comparatively happy in
the acceptance of his clemency, and lived
with him in friendship, until the fiigate an-
chored in the harbor of Cape Fear, North
Carolina, in America.

ETHAN ALLEN. 57

Nothing of material consequence happened
until the fleet rendezvoused at the cove of
Cork, except a violent storm which brought
old hardy sailors to then* prayers. It was
soon rumored in Cork that I was on board the
Solebay, with a number of prisoners from
America — upon which Messrs. Clarke and
Hays, merchants in company, and a number
of other benevolently disposed gentlemen,
contributed largely to the relief, and support
of the prisoners, who were thirtyfour in num-
ber, and in very needy circumstances. A
suit of clothes from head to foot, including an
overcoat, or surtout, and two shirts, were be-
stowed on each of them. My suit I received
in superfine broadcloth, sufficient for two
jackets, and two pair of breeches, overplus of
a suit throughout, eight fine Holland shirts and
socks ready made, with a number of pairs of
silk and worsted hose, two pair of shoes, two
beaver hats, one of which was sent me richly
laced with gold, hf Mr. .lames Bonwell. The
Irish gentlemen furthermore made a large
gratuity of wines of the best sort, old spirits,
Geneva, loaf and brown sugar, coffee, tea and
chocolate, with a large round of pickled beef,
and a number of fat turkies, with many other
articles, fcr my sea stores, too tedious to men-

58 NARRATIVE OF

lion here. To ihe privates they bestowed to
each man two pounds of tea, and six pounds
of sugar. These articles were received on
board, at a time when the Captain and first
Lieutenant were gone on shore, by permission
of the second Lieutenant, a handsome young
gentleman, who was then under twenty years
of age; his name was Douglass, the son of
Admiral Douglass, as I have been informed.
As this munificence was so unexpected and
plentiful, I may add needful, it impressed on
my mind the highest sense of gratitude towards
my benefactors ; for I was not only supplied
with the necessaries and conveniences of life,
but with the grandeur and superfluities of it.
Mr. Hays, one of the donators before n:en-
tioned, came on board, and behaved in the
most obliging manner, telling me that he hoped
my troubles were past, for that the gentlemen
of Cork determined to make my sea-stores
equal to the Captain of the Solebay's; he
made a proffer of live stock, and wherewith to
support them — but I knew this would be de-
nied. And to crown all, did send to me by
another person fifty guineas, but I could not
reconcile the receiving the whole to my own
feelings, as it might have the appearance of
avarice ; and therefore received but seven
guineas only ; and am confident not only froni

ETHAN ALLEN. 59

the exercise of the present well-timed gene-
rosity, but from a large acquaintance with gen-
tlemen of this nation, that as a people they
excel in liberality and bravery.

Two days after the receipt of the aforesaid
donations, Captain Symonds came on board,
full of envy towards the prisoners, and swore
by all that is good, that the damned American
rebels should not be feasted at this rate by
I he damned rebels of Ireland ; he therefore
took away all my liquojs before-mentioned,
except some of the wine which was secreted,
and a two gallon jug of old spirits which was
reserved for rae, per favor of Lieutenant
Douglass. The taking my liquors was abom-
inable in his sight ; he therefore spoke in my
behalf, until the Captain was angry with him.
And in consequence, proceeded and took
away all the tea and sugar which had been
given to the other prisoners, and confiscated
it to the use of the ship's crew. Our clothing
was not taken away, but the privates were
forced to do duty on board. Soon after this
there came a boat to the side of the ship, and
Capt. Symonds asked a gentleman that was
in it, in my hearing, what his business was,
who answered that he was sent to deliver
some sea-storesto Col. Allen, which, if I re-
member right, he said were sent from Dublin ;

60 NARRATIVE OF

but the Captain damned him very heartily,
ordered him away from the ship, and would
not suffer him to deliver the stores. I was
furthermore informed, that the gentlemen in
Cork requested of Captain Symonds that I
might be allowed to come into the city, and
that they would be responsible I should return
to the frigate at a given time, w^bich was de-
nied them.

We sailed from England the 8th day of
January, and from the cove of Cork the 12th
day of February. Just before we sailed, tho
prisoners with me were divided, and put on
board three different ships of war. This
gave me some uneasiness, for they were to a
man zealous in the* cause of liberty, and be-
haved with a becoming fortitude in the various
scenes of their captivity ; but those who were
distributed on board other ships of war, were
much better used than those that tarried with
me, as appeared afterwards. When the fleet,
consisting of about fortyfive sail, including
fortyfive men of war, sailed from the cove
with a fresh breeze, the appearance was beau-
tiful, abstracted from the unjusfi and bloody
designs they had in view. We had not sailed
many days before a mighty storm arose, which
lasted twentyfour hours without intermission.
The wind blew with relentless fury, and no

ETHAN ALLEN. 61

man could remain on deck, except he was
lashed fast, for the waves rolled over the deck
by turns, with a forcible rapidity, and every
soul on board was anxious for the preservation
of the ship, ahas their lives. In this storm
the Thunder-bomb mati of war sprang a leak,
and was afterwards floated to some part of the
coast of England, and the crew saved. We
were then said to be in the Bay of Biscay.
After the storm abated, I could plainly discern
that the prisoners were 'better used for some
considerable time.

Nothing of consequence happened after
this, till we had sailed to the island of Madeira,
except a certain favor which I received of
Captain Symonds, in consequence of an appli-
cation I made to him, for the privilege of his
tailor to make a suit of clothes of the cloth
bestowed on me in Ireland, which he gener-
ously granted. I could then walk the deck
with a seeming better grace. When we had
reached Madeira, and anchored, sundry gen-
tlemen, with the Captain, went on shore, who
I conclude, gave the rumor that I was in the
frigate ; upon which I soon ^fter found Irish
generosity was again excited ; for a gentleman
of this nation sent his clerk on board, to know
of me if I would accept a sea-store from him,
particularly of wine. This matter I made
6

62 NARRATIVE OF

known to the generous Lieut. Douglass, who
readily granted me the favor, provided the
.irticles could be brought on board during the
time of his command-; adding that it would be
a pleasure to him to serve me, notwithstanding
the opposition he met with before. So I di-
rected the gentleman's clerk to inform him
that I was greatly in need of so signal a chari-
ty, and desired the young gentleman to make
the utmost despatch, which he did ; but in
the mean time, Capt. Symonds and his officers
came on board, and immediately made ready
for sailing — the wind at the same time being
fair, set sail when the young gentleman was in
fair sight with the aforesaid store.

The reader will doubtless recollect the
seven guineas I received at the cove of Cork.
These enabled me to purchase of the purser
what I wanted, had not the Captain strictly
forbid it, though I made sundry applications
'o him for that purpose ; but his answer to
me, when I was sick, was, that it was no mat-
ter how soon I was dead, and that he was no
ways anxious to preserve the lives of rebels,
but wished them, ell dead ; and indeed that
was the language of most of the ship's crew.
I expostulated not only with the Captain but
with other gentlemen on board, on the un-
reasonableness of such usage ; inferring, that

ETHAN ALLEN. 63^

inasmuch as the government in England did
not proceed against me as a capital offender,
they should not ; for that they were by no
means empowered by any authority, either
civil or military, to do so : for the English
government had acquitted me by sending me
back a prisoner of war to America, and that
they should treat me as such. I further
drew an inference of impolicy on them, pro-
vided they should, by hard usage, destroy my
life ; inasmuch as I might, if living, redeem
one of their offiers ; but the Captain replied,
that he needed no directions of mine how to
treat a rebel ; that the British would conquer
the American rebels, hang the Congress, and
such as promoted the rebellion, me in par-
ticular, and retake their own prisoners ; so
that my life was of no consequence in the
scale of their policy. I gave him for answer,
that if they stayed till they conquered Amer-
ica before they hanged me, I should die of
old age., and desired that till such an event
took place, he would at least allow me to pur-
chase of the purser, for my own money, such
articles as I greatly needed ; but he would
not permit it, and when I reminded him of
the generous and civil usage that their prison-
ers in captivity in America met with, he said
that it was not ov«ing to their goodness, but

64 NARRATIVE OF i

to their timidity ; for, said he, they expect to
be conquered, and therefore dare not naisuse
our prisoners, and in fact this was the language
of the British officers till Gen. Burgoyne was
taken, (happy event) and not only of the offi-
cers, but of the whole British army. I appeal
to my brother prisoners, that Have been with
the British in the southern department, for a
confirmation of what I have advanced on this
subject. The surgeon of the Solebay, whose
name is North, was a very humane and ob-
liging man, and took the best care of the
prisoners who were sick.

The third day of May we cast anchor in
the harbor of Cape Fear, in North Carolina,
as did Sir Peter Parker's ship of fifty guns a
little back of the bar, for there was no depth
of water for him to come into the harbor.
These two men of war and fourteen sail of
transports and others, came after, so that most
of the fleet rendezvoused at Cape Fear, for
three weeks. The soldiers on board the
transports were sickly, in consequence of so
long a passage — add to this, the small pox
carried off many of them : they landed on the
main and formed a camp, but the ritlemen
annoyed them, and caused them to move to an
island in the harbor — but such cursing of
riflemen I never heard.

ETHAN ALLEN. 65

A detachment of regulars was sent up Bruns-
wick river ; as they landed, were fired on by
those marksman, and they came back next
day, damning the rebels for their unmanly way
of fighting, and swearing that they would give
no quarter, for they took sight at them, and
were behind timber, skulking about. One of
the detachments said they lost one man — but
a negro man who was with them, and heard
what was said, soon after told me that he
helped to bury thirtyone of them. This did
me some good to find my countrymen giving
them battle — for I never heard such swagger-
ing as among Gen. Clinton's little army, who
commanded at that time, and I am apt to think
there were four thousand men, though not two-
thirds of them fit for duty. I heard numbers
of them say, that the trees in America should
hang well with fruit that campaign, for they
would give no quarter. This was in the?
mouths of most whom I heard speak on the
subject, officer as well as soldier. 1 wished
at that time my countrymen knew as well as I
did what a murdering and cruel enemy they
had to deal with ; but experience has since
taught this country, what they are to expect
at the hands of Britons when in their power.

The prisoners who bad' been sent on board
different men of war at the cove of Cork, were
6*

66 NARRATIVE OF

collected together, and the whole of them put
on board the Mercury frigate, Capt. James
Montague, except one of the Canadians, who
died on the passage from Ireland, and Peter
Noble, w4io made his escape from the Sphynx
man of war in this harbor, and by extraordi-
nary swimming, got safe home to New Eng-
land, and gave intelligence of the usage of his
brother prisoners. The Mercury set sail
from this port for Halifax, about the 20th of
May, and Sir Peter Parker was about to sail
with the land forces, under the command of
Gen. Clinton, for the reduction of Charles-
ton, the capital of South Carolina, and when
I heard of his defeat in Halifax, it gave me
inexpressible satisfaction.

I now found myself under a worse Captain
than Symonds ; for Montague was loaded
with prejudices against every body, and every
thing that was not stamped with royalty ; and
being by nature underwitted, his wrath was
heavier than the others, or at least his mind
was in no instance liable to be diverted by
good sense, humor or bravery, of which Sy-
monds was by turns susceptible. A Captain
Francis Proctor was added to our number of
prisoners when we were first put on board
this ship. This gentleman had formerly be-
longed to the English service. The Captain,

ETHAN ALLEN. 67

and in fine all the gentlemen of the ship, were
very much incensed against him, and put him
in irons without the least provocation, and he
was continued in this miserable situation about
three months. In this passage the prisoners
were infected with the scurvy, some more
and some less, but most of them severely.
The ship's crew was to a great degree trou-
bled with it, and I concluded that it was catch-
ing. Several of the crew died of it on their
passage. I w^as weak and feeble in conse-
quence of so long and cruel a captivity, yet
had but little of the scurvy.

The purser was again expressly forbid by
the Captain to let me have any thing out of
his store — upon which I went on deck, and
in the handsomest manner requested the favor
of purchasing a few necessaries of the purser,
which was denied me. He further told me,
that 1 should be hanged as soon as I arrived
at Halifax. I tried to reason the matter with
him, but found him proof against reason. I
also held up his honor to view, and his be-
havior to me and the prisoners in general, as
being derogatory to it, but found his honor
impenetrable. I then endeavored to touch
his humanity, but he had none ; for his pre-
possession of bigotry to his own party, had
confirmed in him in an opinion that no human-

68 NARRATIVE OF

ity was due to unroyalists, but seemed to
think that heaven and earth were made merely
to gratify the King and his creatures. He
uttered considerable unintelligible and grovel-
ling ideas, a little tinctured with Monarchy,
but stood well to his text of hanging me. He
afterwards forbid his surgeon to administer ?ny
help to the sick prisoners. I was every night
shut down in the cable tire, with the rest of
the prisoners, and we all lived miserable while
under his power. But I received some gene-
rosity from several of the midshipmen, who
in a degree alleviated my misery. One of
their names was Putrass, the names of the
others I do not recollect — but they were ob-
liged to be private in the bestowment of their
favor, which was sometimes good wine bit-
ters, and at others a generous drink of grog.
Sometime in the first week of June, we
came to anchor at the Hook off New York,
where we remained but three days ; in which
time Gov. Tryon, Mr. Kemp, the old At-
torney General of New York, and several
other perfidious and overgrown lories and
land-jobbers came on board. Tryon viewed
me with a stern countenance as I was walking
on the leeward side of the deck with the mid-
shipmen— and he and his companions were
walking with the Captain and Lieutenant on

ETHAN ALLEN. 69

the windward side of the same, but never
spoke to me, though it is ahogetlier probable
that he thought of the old quarrel between
him, the old government of New York, and
the Green Mountain Boys. Then they went
with the Captain into the cabin, and the same
afternoon returned on board a vessel which
lay near the Hook, where at that time they
took sanctuary from the resentment of their
injured country. What passed between the
officers of the ship and these visitors 1 know
not; but this I know, that my treatment from
,the principal officers was more severe after-
wards.

We arrived at Halifax not far from the
middle of June, where the ship's crew which
was infested with the scurvy, were taken on
shore, and shallow trenches dug, into which
they were put, and partly covered with earth.
Indeed every proper measure was taken for
their relief. The prisoners were not permit-
ted any sort of medicine, but were put on
board a sloop which lay in the harbor, near
the town of Halifax, surrounded with several
men of war and their tenders, and a guard
constantly set over them, night and day. The
sloop we had wholly to ourselves, except the
guard who occupied the forecastle ; here we
were cruelly pinched with hunger. It seemed

70 NARRATIVE OF

to me that we had not more than one-third of
the common allowance. We were all seized
with violent hunger and faintness — we divided
our scanty allowance as exact as possible. I
shared the same fate with the rest, and though
they offered me more than an even share, I
refused to accept it, as it was a time of sub-
stantial distress, which, in my opinion, I ought
to partake equally with the rest, and set an
example of virtue and fortitude to our little
commonwealth.

I sent letter after letter to Capt. Montague
who still had the care of us, and also to his
Lieutenant, whose name I cannot call to mind,
but could obtain no answer, much less a redress
of grievances ; and to add to the calamity,
near a dozen of the prisoners were dangerously
ill of the scurvy. I wrote private letters to
the doctors, to procure, if possible, some
remedy for the sick, but in vain. The chief
physician came by in a boat so close that the
oars touched the sloop we were in, and I
uttered my complaint in the genteelest manner
to him, but he never so much as turned his head,
or made me any answer, though I continued
speaking till he got out of hearing. Our cause
then become very deplorable. Still I kept
writing to the Captain, till he ordered the
guards, as they told me, not to bring any more

Jk-' J^^m

ETHAN ALLEN. 71

letters from me to him. In the mean time an
event happened worth relating. One of the
men almost dead of the scurvy, laid by the
side of the sloop, and a canoe of Indians com-
ing by, he purchased two quarts of strawber-
ries, and eat them at once, and it almost cured
him. The money he gave for them, was all
the money he had in the world. After that
we tried every way to procure more of that
fruit, reasoning from analogy that they might
have the same effect on others infected with
the same disease, but could obtain none.

Meanwhile the Doctor's mate of the Mer-
cury came privately on board the prison sloop,
and presented me with a large vial of 'smart
drops, which proved to be good for the scurvy,
though vegetables and some other ingredients
were requisite for a cure ; but the drops gave
at least a check to the disease. This was a
well-timed exertion of humanity — but the
doctor's name has slipped my mind — and in
my opinion was the means of saving the lives
of several men.

The guard which was set over us, was by
this time touched with the feelings of compas-
sion ; and I finally trusted one of them with
a letter of complaint to Governor Arbuthnot,
of Halifax, which he found means to commu-
nicate, and which had the desired effect — for

72 NARRATIVE OF

the Governor sent an officer and surgeon on
board the prison sloop, to know the truth of
the complaint. The officer's name was
Russel, who held the rank of Lieutenant, and
treated me in a friendly and polite manner,
and was really angry at the cruel and unmanly
usage the prisoners met with ; and with the
surgeon made a report of matters to Governor
Arbuthnot, who either by his order or influ-
ence, took us next day from the prison sloop
to Halifax gaol, where" 1 first become ac-
quainted with the now Hon. James Lovel,
Esq., one of the members of Congress for the
State of Massachusetts Bay. The sick were
taken to the hospital, and the Canadians who
were effective, were employed in the King's
works ; and when their countrymen were re-
covered from the scurvy, and joined them,
they all deserted the King's employ, and were
not heard of at Halifax, as long as the remain-
der of the prisoners continued thei;e, which
was till near the middle of October. We
were on board the prison sloop about six
weeks, and were landed at Halifax near the
middle of August. Several of our English
American prisoners, who were cured of the
scurvy at the hospital, made their escape from
thence, and after a long time reached their
old habitations.

ETHAN ALLEN. 73

I had now but thirteen with me of those
that were taken in Canada, and remained in
gaol with me in Hahfax, who in addition to
to those that were imprisoned before, made
our number about thirtjfour, who were all
locked up in one common large room, without
regard to rank, education, or any other accom-
plishment, where we continued from the set-
ting to the rising' sun ; and as sundry of them
were infected with the gaol and other distem-
pers, the furniture of this spacious room con-
sisted most principally of excrement tubs.
We petitioned for a removal of the sick into
the hospitals, but were denied. We remon-
strated against the ungenerous usage of being
confined with the privates, as being contrary
to the laws and customs of nations, and par-
ticularly ungrateful in them, in consequence
of the gentleman-like usage which the British
imprisoned officers met with in America ;
and thus we wearied ourselves, petitioning
and remonstrating, but to no purpose at all —
for Gen. Massey, who commanded at Halifax,
was as inflexible as the devil himself — a fine
preparative this for Mr. Lbvell, member of
the continental Congress.

Lieutenant Russel, whom 1 have mentioned
before, came to visit me in prison, and
assured me that he had done his utmost to
7

74 NARRATIVE OP

procure my parole for enlargement — at which
a British Captain, who was then the town-
major, expressed compassion for the gentle-
men confined in the filthy place, and assured
me that he had used his influence to procure
their enlargement; his name was near like Ram-
sey. Among the prisoners there were five in
number, who had a legal claim to a parole, viz.
James Lovel, Esq. ; Capt. Francis Proctor,
a Mr. Houland, master of a continental armed
vessel, a Mr. Tayloj, ^is mate, and my-
self.

As to the article of provisions, we were well
served, much better than in any part of my
captivity ; and since it was Mr. Lovel's mis-
fortune and mine to be prisoners; and in so
wretched circumstances, 1 was happy that we
were together, as a mutual support to each
other, and to the unfortunate prisoners with
us.

I had not been in this gaol many days before
a worthy and charitable woman, Mrs. Blacden
by name, supplied me with a good dinner of
fresh meats every day, with garden fruit, and
sometimes with a bottle of wine ; notwith-
standing which I had not been more than
three weeks in this place before I lost all ap-
petite to the most delicious food by the gaol
distemper, as sundry of the prisoners, particu-

ETHAN ALLEN. 75

larly a Serjeant Moore, a man of courage and
fidelity. 1 have several times seen him hold
the boatswain of the Solebay frigate, when he
attempted to strike him, and laughed him out
of conceit of using him as a slave.

A doctor visited the sick, and did the best,
as I suppose, he could for them, to no ap-
parent purpose. I grew weaker and weaker,
as did the rest. Several of them could not
help themselves. At last I reasoned in my
own mind, that raw onion would be good. I
made use of it, and found immediate relief by
it, as did the sick in general, particularly ser-
geant Moore, who it recovered almost from
the shades. Though I had met with a little
revival, still I found the malignant hand of
Britain had greatly reduced my constitution
with stroke upon stroke. Esquire Lovel and
myself used every argument and entreaty that
could be well conceived of in order to obtain
gentleman-like usage, to no purpose. I then
wrote Ceneral Massey as severe a letter as I
possibly could, with my friend Level's assist-
ance. The contents of it w^s to give the
British, as a nation, and hiimas an individual,
their true character. This roused the rascal,
for he could not bear to see his and the na-
tion's deformity in that transparent letter,
which I sent him ; he therefore put himself

■:V

76 NARRATIVE OF

in a great rage about it, and shewed the letter
to a number of British officers, particularly
to Capt. Smith of the Lark frigate, who in-
stead of joining with him in disapprobation,
commended the spirit of it ; upon which Gen.
Massey said to him. Do you take the part of
a rebel against me ? Capt. Smith answered,
that he rather spoke his sentiments, and there
was a dissension in an opinion between them.
Some officers took the part of the General,
and others of the Captain. This I was in-
formed of by a gentleman who had it from
Capt. Smith.

In a few days after this the prisoners were
ordered to go on board of a man of war, which
was bound for New York ; but two of them
were not able to go on board, and were left
•at Halifax ; one died, and the other recovered.
This was about the 12th of October, and
soon after I had got on board, the Captain sent
for me in particular to come on the quarter
deck. I went, not knowing that it was Capt.
Smith, or his ship at that time, and expected
to meet the same rigorous usage I had com-
monly met with^and prepared my mind ac-
cordingly ; but when I came on deck, the
Captain met me with his hand, welcomed .me
to his ship, invited me to dine with him that
day, and assured me that I should be treated

+ ETHAN ALLEN. 77'

as a gentleman, and that he had given orders
that I should be treated with respect by the
ship's crew. This was so unexpected and
sudden a transition that it drew tears from my
eyes — which all the ill usage I had before met
with was not able to produce — nor could I at
first hardly speak, but soon recovered myself,
and expressed my gratitude for so unexpected
a favor, and let him know that I felt anxiety
of mind in reflecting that Lis situation and
mine was such that it was not probable that it
would ever be in my power to return the
favor. Capt. Smith rephed, that he had no
reward in view, but only treated me as a gen-
tleman ought to be treated ; he said, this is a
mutable world, and one gentleman never knows
but that it may be in his power to help ano-
ther. Soon after I found this to be the same
Capt. Smith who took my part against Gen.
Massey ; but he never mentioned any thing
of it to me, and I thought it impolitic in me
to interrogate him as to any disputes w^hich
might have arisen between him and the Gen-
eral on my account, as I was a prisoner, and
that it was his option to make IVee witlt me
on that subject, if he pleased ; and if he did
not, I might take it for granted that it would
be unpleasing for me to query about it, though
I . had a strong propensity to converse with

him on that subject,

7*

78 NARRATIVE OF

I dined with the Captain agreeable to his
invitation, and oftentimes with the Lieuten-
ants, in the gun room, but in general eat and
drank with my friend Lovel, and the other
gentlemen, who were prisoners with me where
I also slept.

We had a little birth enclosed with canvas,
between decks, where we enjoyed ourselves
very well, in hopes of an exchange ; besides
our friends at Halifax had a little notice of
our departure, and supplied us with spirituous
liquor, and many articles of provision for the
coast. Captain Burk having been taken pris-
oner, was added to our company (he had com-
manded an American armed vessel) and was
generously treated by the Captain and all the
officers of the ship, as icell as myself.

We now had in all near thirty prisoners on
board, and as we were sailing along the coast,
if I recollect right, off Rhode Island, Captain
Burk. with an under officer of the ship, whose
name I do not recollect, came to our little
birth, proposed to kill Capt. Smith and the
principal officers of the frigate and take it ;
addipg that there was 35,000Z sterling in the
same. Capt. Burk likewise averred that a
strong party out of the ship's crew was in the
conspiracy, and urged me and the gentlemen
that was with me to use our influence with

ETHAN ALLEN. 79

the private prisoners, to execute the design,
and take the ship, with the cash, into one of
our own ports.

Upon which I rephed, that we had been
too well used on board to murder the officers ;
that I could by no means reconcile it to my
conscience, and that in fact it should not be
done ; and while I was yet speaking, my
friend Lovel confirmed what I had said, and
fu-rther pointed out the ungratefulness of such
an act ; that it did not fall short of murder,
and in fine all the gentlemen in the birth, op-
posed Capt. Burk and his colleague. But
they strenuously urged that the conspiracy
would be found out, and that it would cost
them their lives, provided they did not execute
their design. I then interposed spiritedly,
and put an end to further arguments on the
subject, and told them that they might depend
upon it, upon my honor, that I would faith-
fully guard Capt. Smith'i5 life. If they should
attempt the assault, I would assist him, for
they desired me to remain neuter, and that the
same honor that guarded Capt. Smith's life,
would also guard theirs ; and it was agreed
by those present not to reveal the conspiracy,
to the intent that no man should be put to
death in consequence of what had been pro-
jected ; and Capt. Burk and Jiis colleague

80 NARRATIVE OF

went to stifle the matter among their asso-
ciates. I could not help calling to mind what
Capt. Smith said lo me, when I first came on
board : '^ Tliis is a mutable world ^ and one
gentleman never knows but that it may be in
his power to help another. ^^ Capt. Smith and
his officers still behaved withtheir usual cour-
tesy, and I never heard any more of the con-
spiracy.

We arrived before New York, and cast an-
chor the latter part of October, where we re-
mained several days, and where Capt. Smith
informed me, that he had recommended me
to Admiral Howe and General Sir William
Howe, as a gentleman of honor and veracity,
and desired that I might be treated as such.
Capt. Burk was then ordered on board a
prison-ship in the harbor. I took my leave
of Capt. Smith, and with the other prisoners
was sent on board a transport-ship, which lay
in the harbor, commanded by Capt. Craige,
who took me into the cabin with him and his
Lieutenant. I fared as they did, and was in
every respect well treated in consequence of
directions from Capt. Smith. ' In a few weeks
after this I had the happiness to part with my •
friend Lovel, (for his sake, who the enemy
affected to treat as a private ; he was a gen-
tleman of merit, and liberally educated, but

ETHAN ALLEN. 81

had no commission ; they maligned him on
account of his unshaken attachment to the
cause of his country.) He was exchanged
for Governor Philhp Skene of the British.
I was continued in this ship till the latter part
of November, where I contracted an acquaint-
ance with a Captain of the British — his
name has slipped my memory. He was what
we may call a genteel hearty fellow. I re-
member an expression of his over a bottle of
wine, to this import : '' That there is great-
ness of soul for personal friendship to subsist
between you and me, as we are upon opposite
sides, and may at another day be obliged to
face each other in the field." I am confident
that he was as faithful as any officer in the
British army. At another sitting he offered
to bet a dozen of wine that Fort Washington
would be in the hanjds of the British in three
days. I stood the bet, and would had I
known that that would have been the case,
and the third day afterwards we heard a pro-
digious heavy cannonade, and that day the
Fort was taken sure enough. Some months
after, \yhen I was on parole, he called upon
me with his usual humor, and mentioned the
bet. I acknowledged I had lost it, but he
said he did not mean to take it then, as I was
a prisoner ; that he would another day call on

82 NARRATIVE OF

me, when their army came to Bennington.
I replied that he was quite too generous, as I
had fairly lost it ; besides the Green Mountain
Boys would not suffer them to come to Ben-
nington. This^ was all in good humor. * I
should have been glad to have seen him after
the defeat at Bennington, but did not. It was
customary for a guard to attend the prisoners,
which was often changed. One w^as com-
posed of tories from Connecticut, in the vi-
cinity of Fairfield and Green Farms. The
Serjeant's name was Hoit. They were very
full of their invectives against the country,
swaggered of their loyalty to their king, and
exclaimed bitterly against the " cowardly yan-
kees," as they were pleased to term them,
but finally contented themselves with saying,
that when the country was overcome, they
should be well rewarded for their loyalty, out
of the estates of the whigs, which would be
confiscated. This I found to be the general
language of tories, after I arrived from Eng-
land on the iVmerican coast. I heard sundry
of them relate, that the British Generals had
engaged them an ample reward for all their
losses, disappointments and expenditures, out
of the forfeited rebels estates. This language
early taught me what to do with tories estates,
as far as my influence can go. For it is really

ETHAN ALLEN. 83

a game of hazard between whig and tory.
The whigs must inevitably have lost all. in
consequence of the abihties of the tories, and
their good friends the British ; and it is no
more than right the tories should run the same
risk, in consequence of the abilities of the
Tyhigs. But of this more will be observed
in the sequel of this narrative.

Some of the last days of November, the
prisoners were landed at New York, and I
was admitted to parole with the other officers,
viz. Proctor, Rowland, and Taylor. The
privates were put into the filthy churches in
New York, with the distressed prisoners that
were taken at Fort Washington ; and the
second night serjeant Roger Moore, who was
bold and enterprising, found means to make
his escape with every one of the remaining
prisoners that were taken with me, except
three who were soon after exchanged. Sd
that out of thirtyone prisoners, who went
with me the round exhibited in these
sheets, two only died with the enemy, and
three only exchanged ; one of them died after
he came within our lines ; all the rest at dif-
ferent times, made their escape from the
enemy.

I now found myself on parole, and restricted
to the limits of the city of New York, where

84 NARRATIVE OF

1 soon projected means to live in some mea-
sure agreeable to my rank, though I was des-
titute of cash. My constitution was almost
worn out by such a long and barbarous cap-
tivity. The enemy gave out that 1 was crazy,
and wholly unmanned, but my vitals held
sound, (nor was I delirious any more than I
have been from my youth up ; but my ex-
treme circumstances at certain times, rendered
it political to act in some measure the mad-
man,) and in consequence of a regular diet and
exercise my blood recruited, and my nerves
in great measure recovered their former tone,
strength and usefulness, in the course of six
months.

I next invite the reader to a retrospective
sight and consideration of the doleful scene
of inhumanity exercised by General Sir Wil-
\^'' Ham Howe, and the army under his command,
/ towards the prisoners taken on Long Island,
"^ on the 27th day of August, 1776 ; sundry of
whom were in an inhuman and barbarous man-
ner murdered after they had surrendered their
arms ; particularly a General Odel, (or Wood-
hul) of the militia, who was hacked to pieces
with cutlasses, when alive, by the light-horse-
men, and a Captain Fellows, of the continent-
al army, who was thrust through with a bay-
onet, of which wound he died instantly.

• ETHAN ALLEN. 85

Sundry others were hanged up by the neck
till they were dead ; five on the limb of an oak
tree, and without any reason assigned, except
that they were fighting in defence of the only
blessing worth preserving. And indeed those
who had the misfortune to fall into their hands
at Fort Washington, in the month of Novem-
ber following, met with but very little better
usage, except that they were reserved from
immediate death to fam,ish and die with hun-
ger ; in fine the word rebel applied to any
vanquished persons, without regard to rank,
who were in the continental service on the
27th of August aforesaid, was thought by the
enemy sufficient to sanctify whatever cruelties
they were pleased to inflict, death itself not
excepted ; but I pass over particulars which
would swell my narrative far beyond my de-
sign.

The private soldiers who were brought to
New York were crowded into churches, and
environed with slavish Hessian guards, a peo-
ple of a strange language, who were sent to
America for no other design but cruelty and
desolation ; and at others, by merciless Brit-
ons, whose mode of communicating ideas
being intelligible in this country, served only
to tantalize and insult the helpless and perish-
ing ; but above all the hellish delight and tri-
8

86 NARRATIVE OF •

umph of the tories over them, as they were
dying by hundreds. This was too much for
me to bear as a spectator ; for I saw the to-
ries exulting over the dead bodies of their
murdered countrymen. I have gone into the
churches, and seen sundry of the prisoners in
the agonies of death, in consequence of very
hunger, and others speechless and near death,
biting pieces of chips ; others pleading for
God's sake, for something to eat, and at the
same time shivering with the cold. Hollow
groans saluted my ears, and despair seemed
to be imprinted bn every one of their
countenances. The filth in these churches,
in consequence of the fluxes, was almost be-
yond description. The floors were covered
with excrements. I have carefully sought to
direct my steps so as to avoid it, but could
not. They would beg for God's sake for one
copper, or morsel of bread. I have seen in
one of these churches seven dead at the same
time, lying among the excrements of their
bodies.

It was. a common practice with the enemy
to convey the dead from their filthy places
in carts, to be slightly buried, and I have
seen whole gangs of tories making derision,
and exalting over the dead, saying, there goes
another load of damned rebels. I have ob-

ETHAN ALLEN. 87

served the British soldiers to be full of their
black-guard jokes, and vaunting on those oc-
casions, but they appeared to me less malig-
nant than tories.

The provision dealt out to the prisoners
was by no means sufficient for the support of
life. It was deficient in quantity, and much
more so in quality. The prisoners often pre-
sented me with a sample of their bread, which
I certify was damaged to that degree that it was
loathsome and unfit to be eaten, and I am bold
to aver it, as my opinion, that it had been
cpndemned, and was of the very worst sort.
I have seen and been fed upon damaged bread,
in the course of my captivity, and observed
the quality of such bread as has been pon-
demned by the enemy, among which was very
little so effectually spoiled as what was dealt
out to these prisoners. Their allowance of
meat, as they told me, was quite trifling, and
of the basest sort. I never saw any of it, but
was informed, bad as it was, it was swallowed
almost as quick as they got hold of it. I saw
some of them sucking bones after they were
speechless ; others who could yet speak, and
had the use of their reason, urged me in the
strongest and most pathetic manner, to use
my interest in their behalf, for you plainly see,
say they, that we are devoted to death and

88 NARRATIVE OF

destruction ; and after I bad examined more
particularly into their truly deplorable condi-
tion, and had become more fully apprized of
the essential facts, I was persuaded that it was
a premeditated and systematical plan of the
British council, to destroy the youths of our
land, with a view thereby to deter the coun-
try, and make it submit to their despotism ;
but that I could not do them any material ser-
vice, and that by any public attempt for that
purpose 1 might endanger myself by fiequent-
ing places the most nauseous and contagious
that could be conceived of.' 1 refrained going
into the churches, but frequently conversed
with such of the prisoners-as were admitted
to come out into the yard, and found that the
systematic usage still continued. The guard
would often drive me away with their fixed
bayonets. A Hessian one day followed me
five or six rods, but by making use of my
legs, got rid of the lubber. Sometimes I
could obtain a little conversation, noiwith-
standing their severities.

J was in one of ..the church yards, and it
was rumored among those in the church, and
sundry of the prisoners came with their usual
complaints to me, and among the rest a large-
boned, tall young man, as he told me from
Pennsylvania, who was reduced to a mere

ETHAN ALLEN. 89

skeleton ; said he was glad to see me before
he died, which he had expected to have done
last night, but was a little revived ; he further-
more informed me, that he and his brother
had been urged to enlist into the British, but
had both resolved to die first ; that his brother
had died last night, in consequence of 'that
resolution, and that he expected shortly to
follow him ; but I made the other prisoners
stand a little off, and told him with a low voice
to list ; he then asked, whether it was right
in the sight of God ? I assured him that it
was, and that duty to himself obliged him to
deceive the British by enlisting, and deserting
the first opportunity. Upon which he an-*
swered with transport that he would list. I
charged him not to mention my name as his
adviser, lest it shoeld get air, and i should be
closely confined in consequence of it. The
integrity of these suffering prisoners is hardly
credible. Many hundreds, I am confident,
submitted to death, rather than enlist in the
British service, which, I am informed, they
most generally were pressed to do. I was
astonished at the resolution of the two broth-
ers particularly ; it seems that they could not
be stimulated to such exertions of heroism
from ambition, as they were but obscure sol-
diers ; strong indeed must the internal princi-
8*

90 ' NARRATIVE OF

pie of virtue be, which supported them to
brave death, and one of them went through
the operation, as did many hundred others.
1 readily grant that instances of public virtue
are no excitement to the sordid and vicious,
nor on the other hand, will all the barbarity of
Britain and Heshland awaken them to a sense
of their duty to their public ; but these things
will have their proper effect on the generous
and brave. The officers on parole were most
of them zealous, if possible, to afford the
miserable soldiery relief, and often consulted
with one another on the subject, but to no
effect, being destitute of the means of subsist-
*ence, which they needed ; nor could the
officers project any measure which they thought
would alter their fate, or so much as be a
means of getting them out of those filthy places
to the privilege of fresh air. Some projected
that all the officers should go in procession
to General Howe, and plead the cause of the
perishing soldiers ; but this proposal was
negatived for the following reasons, viz. be-
cause that General Howe must needs be well
acquainted and have a thorough knowledge of
the state and condition of the prisoners in
every of their wretched apartments, and that
much more particular and exact than any
officer on parole could be supposed to have,

ETHAN ALLEN. 91

as the General had a return of the circumstances
of the prisoners by his own officers every
morning, of the number which were ahve, as
also the number which died every twentyfour
hours, and consequently the bill of mortality,
as collected from the daily returns, lay before
him with all the material situations and cir-
cumstances of the prisoners ; and provided
the officers should go in p^cession to General
Howe, according to the projection, it would
give him the greatest affront, and that he
would either retort upon them, that it was no
part of their parole to instruct him in his con-
duct to prisoners ; that they were mutinying
against his authority, and by afironting him,
had forfeited their parole ; or that more prob-
ably, instead of saying one word to them,
would order them all into as wretched a con-
finement as the soldiers whom they sought to
relieve ; for at that time, the British, from
the General to the private sentinel, were in
full confidence, i>or did they so much as hesi-
tate but that they should conquer the country.
Thus the consultation of the officers was con-
founded and broken to pieces, in consequence
of the dread which at that time lay on their
minds, of offending Gen. Howe ; for they
conceived so murderous a tyrant would not
be too good to destroy even the officers, on '

KRP>fl»lL

92 NARRATIVE OF

the least pretence of an affront, as they were
equally in his power with the soldiers ; and
as General Howe perfectly understood the
condition of the private soldiers, it was argued
that it was exactly such as he and his council
had devised, and as he meant to destroy them
it would be to no purpose for them to try
to dissuade him from it, as they were helpless
and liable to the s^e fate, on giving the least
affront ; indeed anxious apprehensions dis-
turbed thdm in their then circumstances.

Meantime mortality raged to such an in-
tolerable degree among the prisoners, that the
very school boys in the streets knew the men-
tal design of it in some measure ; at least they
knew that they were starved to death. Some
poor women contributed to their necessity,
till their children were almost starved, and all
persons of common understanding knew that
they were devoted to the crudest and worst
of deaths. It was also proposed by some
to make a written representation of the con-
dition of the soldiery, and the officers to sign
it, and that it should be couched in such terms
as though they were apprehensive that the
General was imposed upon by his officers, in
their daily returns to him of the state and con-
dition of the prisoners ; and that therefore

ETHAN ALLEN. 93

the officers moved with compassion, were con-
strained to communicate to him the facts re-
lative to them, nothing doubting but that they
would meet with a speedy redress ; but this
proposal was most generally negatived ; also,
and for much the same reason offered in the
other case ; for it was conjectured that Gen-
ral Howe's indignation would be moved
against such officers as should attempt to whip
him over his officers' backs. That he would
discern that himself was really struck at, and
not the officers who made the daily returns ;
and therefore self-preservation deterred the
officers from either petitioning or remonstra-
ting to General Howe, either verbally or in
writing ; as also the consideration that no val-
uable purpose to the distressed would be ob*
tained.

I made several rough drafts on the subject,
one of which I exhibited to Colonels Magaw,
Miles and Atlee, and said that they would
consider the matter ; soon after I called on
them, and some of the gentlemen informed
me that they had wrote to the General on the
subject, and I concluded that the gentlemen
thought it best that they should write without
me, as there was such spirited aversion sub-
sisting between the British and me.

94 NARRATIVE OF

In the mean time Colonel Hussecker, of
the continental army, as he then reported,
was taken prisoner, and brought to New
York, who gave out that the country was most
universally submitting to the English king's
authority, and 'that there would be little or no
more opposition to Great Britain. This at
first gave the officers a little shock, but in a
few days they recovered themselves ; for this
Colonel Hussecker being a German, was
feasting with General De Heister, his coun-
trymen, and from his conduct they were ap-
prehensive that he was a knave ; at least he
was esteemed so by most of the officers ; it
was nevertheless a day of trouble. The ene-
my blasphemed. Our little army was re-
treating in New Jersey, and our young men
murdered by hundreds in New York. The
army of Britain and Heshland prevailed for a
little season, as though it was ordered by
Heaven to shew lo the latest posterity what
the British would have done if they could,
and what the general calamity must have been,
in consequence of their conquering the coun-
try, and to excite every honest man to stand
forth in the defence of liberty, and to establish
the independencey of the United States of
America forever. But this scene of adverse
fortune did not discourage a Washington.

ETHAN ALLEN. 95

The illustrious American here remained im-
movable. In liberty's cause he took up his
sword. This reflection was his support and
consolation in the day of his humiliation, when
he retreated Before the enemy, through New
Jersey into Pennsylvania. Their triumph
only roused his indignation, and the important
cause of his country, which lay near his heart,
moved him to cross the Delaware again, and
take ample satisfaction on his pursuers. No
sooner had he circumvallated his haughty foes
and appeared in terrible array but the host of
Heshland fell. This taught America the in-
trinsic worth of perseverance, and the gener-
ous sons of freedom flew to the standard of
their common safeguard and defence ; from
which time the arm of American liberty hath
prevailed.

This surprise and capture of the Hessians
enraged the enemy, who were still vastly more
numerous thnn the continental troops. They
therefore collected, and marched from Prince-
ton, to attack General Washington, who was
then at Trenton, having previously left a de-
tachment from their main body at Princeton,
for the support of that » place. This was a
trying time, for our worthy General, though
in possession of a late most astonishing vic-
tory, was by no means able to withstand the

96 NARRATIVE OF

collective force of the enemy ; but his sagacity-
soon suggested a stratagem to effect that which
by force to him was at that time impractica-
ble. He therefore amused the enemy' with a
number of fires, and in the night made a forced
march, undiscovered by them, and next morn-
ing fell in with their rear guard at Princeton,
and killed and took most of them prisoners.
The main body too late perceiving their rear
was attacked, hurried back with all speed,
but to their mortification found they were
out generalled and baffled by General Wash-
ington, vi^ho was retired with his little. army
towards Morristown, and was out of their
power. These repeated successes, one on
the back of the other, chagrined the enemy
prodigiously, and had an amazing operation
in the scale of American politics, and un-
doubtedly was one of the corner-stones on
which their fair structure of Independency
has been fabricated ; for the country at no
one time has ever been so much dispirited,.as
just before the morning of this glorious suc-
cess, which in part dispelled the gloomy
clouds of oppression and slavery, which lay
pending over America, big with the ruin of
this and future generations, and enlightened
and spirited her sons to redouble their blows
on a merciless and haughty, and I may add a
perfidious enemy.

ETHAN ALLEN. * 97

Furthermore, this success had a mighty
effect on General Howe and his council, and
roused them to a sense of their own weak-
ness, and convinced them that they were
neither omniscient or omnipotent. Their
obduracy and death-designing malevolence in
some measure, abated or was suspended.
The prisoners who were condemned to the
most wretched and cruellest of deaths, and
who survived to this period, though most of
them died before, were immediately ordered
to be sent within General Washington's lines
for an exchange, and in consequence of it,
were taken out of their filthy and poisonous
places of confinement, and sent out of New
York to their friends in haste ; several of
them fell dead in the streets of New York,
as they attempted to walk to the vessels in
the harbor, for their intended embarkation.
What numbers lived to reach the lines I can-
not ascertain, but from concurrent representa-
tions which I have since received from num-
bers of people who lived in, and adjacent to,
such parts of the country where they were
received from the enemy, I apprehend that
most of them died in consequence of the vile
usage of the enemy. Some who were eye
witnesses of that scene of mortality, more
especially in that part which continued after
9

98 • NARRATIVE OF

the exchange took place, are of opinion that
it was partly inconsequence of a slow poison ;
but this I refer to the doctors that attended
them who are, certainly the best judges.

Upon the best calculation I have been able
to make from personal knowledge, and the
many evidences I have collected in support
of the facts, I learn that the prisoners taken
on Long Island, Fort Washington, and some
few others, at different times and places, about
two thousand perished with hunger, cold and
sickness, occasioned by the filth of their
prisons, at New York, and a number more
on their passage to the continental lines ; most
of the residue who reached their friends,
having received their death wound, could not
be restored by the assistance of physicians
and friends ; but like their brother prisoners,
fell a sacrifice to the relentless and scientific
barbarity of Britain. I took as much pains
as my circumstances would admit of, to in-
form myself not only of matters of fad, but
likewise of the very design and aims of Gen-
eral Howe and his council. The latter of
which I predicated on the former, and submit
it to the candid public.

And lastly, the aforesaid success of the
American arms had a happy effect on the con-
tinental officers, who were on parole at New

ETHAN ALLEN. " 99

York. A number of us assembled, but not
in a public manner, and with full bowls and
glasses, drank General Washington's health,
and were not unmindful of Congress and our
worthy friends on the continent, and almost
forgot that we were prisoners.

A few days after this recreation, a British
officer of rank and importance in their army,
(whose name I shall not mention in this narra-
tive, for certain reasons, though I have men-
tioned it to some of my close friends and Con-
fidents,) sent for me to his lodgings, and told
me, "That faithfulness, though in a wrong
cause, had nevertheless recommendecf me to
General Sir William Howe, who was minded
to make me a Colonel of a regiment of new
levies, alias tories, in the British service, and
proposed that I should go with him and some
other officers, to England, who would embark
for that purpose in a few days, and there be
introduced to Lord George Germaine, and
probably to the King ; and that previously
I should be clothed equal to such an introduc-
tion, and instead of paper rags, be paid in
hard guineas ; after this should embark with
General Burgoyne, and assist in the reduc-
tion of the country, which infallibly would be
conquered, and when that should be done, I
should have a large tract of land, whether on

100 NARRATIVE OF

the New Hampshire grants, or in Connecti-
cut, it would make no odds, as the country
would be forfeited to the crown." I then
replied, ^^ That if by faithfulness I had re-
commended myself to General Howe, I should
be loth, by unfaithfulness, to lose the Gener-
al's good opinion ; besides that I viewed the
offer of land to be similar to that which the
devil offered Jesus Christ, To give him all
the kingdoms of the world, if he would fall
dovm and worship him ; when at the same
time that the damned fool had not one foot
of land upon earth." This closed the con-
versation, and the gentleman turned from me
with an air of dislike, saying that I was a
bigot ! upon which I retired to my lodgings.
Near the last of November I was admitted
to parole in New York, with many other
American officers, and on the 22d day of
January, 1777, was with them directed by
the British commissary of prisoners to be
quartered on the westerly part of Long Island,
and our parole continued. During my im-
prisonment there, no occurrences wordi ob-
servation happened. I obtained the means of
living as well as I desired, which in great
measure repaired my constitution, which had
been greatly ^injured by the severities of an
inhuman captivity. I now began to Teel my-

ETHAN ALLEN. 101

• ^elf composed, expecting either an exchange
or continuance in good and honorable treat-
ment ; but alas ! my visionary expectations
soon vanished. The news of the conquest of
Ticonderoga by General Burgoyne, and the
advance of his army into the country, made

fthe haughty Britons again to feel their im-
portance, and with that their insatiable thirst
for cruelty.

The private prisoners at New York, and
some of the officers on parole, felt the severity
of it. Burgoyne was their toast and demi-

*god. To him they paid adoration. In him
the tories placed their confidence, '* and for-
got the Lord their God," and served Howe,
Burgoyne and Knyphausen,* and becanie vile
in their pwn imaginations, and their foolish
hearts were darkened, professing to be great
politicians, and relying on foreign and merci-
less invaders, and with them seeking the ruin,
bloodshed and destruction of their country,
'' became fools," expecting with them to share
a dividend in the confiscated estates of their
neighbors and countrymen who fought for the
whole country, and the religion and liberties
thereof. " Therefore God gave them over
to strong delusions, to believe a l,ie, that they
all might be damned."

**KNyPHAusEN, fi H ssian General.
9*

102' NARRATIVE OF

The 25th day of August I was apprehend-
ed, and under pretext of artful, mean and piti-
ful pretences, that I had infringed on my pa-
role, taken from a tavern, where there were
more than a dozen officers present, and in the
very place where those officers and myself
were directed to be quartered, put under a
strong guard, and taken to New York, where
I expected to make my defence before the
commanding officer ; but contrary to my ex-
pectations, and without the least sohd pretence
of justice or a trial, was again encircled with
a strong guard with fixed bayonets, and con-
ducted to the provost gaol in a lonely apart-
ment, next above the dungeon, and was de-
nied all manner of subsistence either by pur-
chase or allowance. The second day I of-
fered a guinea for a meal of victuals, but was
denied it, and the third day I offered eight
Spanish milled dollars for a like favor, but
was denied, and all that 1 could get out of the
Serjeant's mouth, was, that by God he would
obey his orders. I now perceived myself to
be again in substantial trouble. In this con-
dition I formed an oblique acquaintance with
a Capt. Travis, of Virginia, who was in the
dungeon below me, through a little hole which
was cut with a penknife, through the floor of
my apartment which communicated with the

ETHAN ALLEN. 103

dungeon; it was a small crevice, through
which J could discern but a very small part
of his face at once, when he plied it to the
hole ; but from the discovery of him in the
situation which we were both then in, T could
not have known him, (which I found to be
true by an after acquaintance.) I could nev-
ertheless hold a covQrsation with him, and
soon perceived him to be a gentleman of high
spirits, who had a high sense of honor, and
felt as big as though he had been in a palace,
and had treasures of wrath in store against the
British. In fine I was charmed with the
spirit of the man ; he had been near or quite
four months in that dungeon, with murderers,
thieves, and every species of criminals, and
air for the sole crime of unshaken fidelity to
his country ; but his spirits were above de-
jection, and his mind unchanageable. I en-
gaged to do him every service in my power,
and in a few weeks afterwards, with the united
petitions of the officers in the provost, pro-
cured his dismission from the dark mansion
of fiends to the apartment of his petitioners.
And it came to pass on the third day, at
the going down of the sun, that I was pre-
sented with a piece of boiled pork, and some
biscuit, which the sergeant gave me to under-
stand was my allowance, and I fed sweetly on

104 NARRATIVE OF

the same ; but I indulged my appetite by de-
grees, and in a few days more was taken from
that apartment, and conducted to the next
loft or story, where there was about twenty
continental and some militia officers who had
been taken and imprisoned there, besides some
private gentlemen who had been dragged from
their own homes to that filthy place, by tories.
Several of every denomination died there,
some before, and others after I was put there.

The history of the proceedings relative to
the provost only, was I particular, would swell
a volume larger than this whole narrative !
Shall therefore only notice such of the occur-
rences which are most extraordinary.

Captain Vandyke bore with an uncommon
fortitude near twenty months' confinemerit in
this place, and in the mean time was very
serviceable to others who were confined with
him. The allegation against him, as the cause
of his confinement, was very extraordinary.
He was accused of setting fire to the city of
New York, (at the time the west part of it' was
consumed) when it was a known fact that he
had been in the provost a week before the
fire broke out ; and in like manner, frivolous
were the ostensible accusations against most
of those who were there confined ; the case
of two militia officers excepted, who were

ETHAN ALLEN. 105

taken in their attempting to escape from their
parole ; and probably there may be some other
instances which might justify such a confine-
ment.

Mr. WilHam Miller, a committee man,
from Westchester county, and State of New
York, was taken from his bed in the dead of
night, by his tory neighbors, and was starved
for three days and nights in a department of
the same gaol ; and to this the denial of fire,
and that in a cold season of the year, in which
time he walked day and night, to defend him-
self against the frost, and when he complained
of such a reprehensible conduct, the word
rebel or committee man was deemed by the
enemy a sufficient atonement for any inhuman-
ity that they could invent or inflict. He was
a man of good natural understanding, a close
and sincere friend to the liberties of America,
and endured fourteen months' cruel imprison-
ment with that magnanimity of soul, which
reflects honor on himself and country.

Major Levi Wells and Captain Ozias Bissel
were apprehended and taken under guard from
their parole on Long Island to the provost,
on as fallacious pretepces as the former, and
where they continued till their exchange took
place, which was near five months. Their
fidelity and zealous attachment to their coun-

106 NARRATIVE OF

try's cause, which was more than commonly
conspicuous was undoubtedly the* real cause
of their confinement.

Major Brinton Payne, Capt. Flahaven, and
Capt. Randolph, who had at different times
distinguished' themselves by their bravery,
especially at the several actions in which they
were taken, was all the provocation they gave
for which they suffered about a year's con-
finement each in the same filthy gaol.

A few weeks after my confinement, on the
like fallacious and wicked pretences, was
brought to the same place, from his parole on
Long Island, Major Otho Holland Williams,
(now a full Colonel in the continental army.)
In his character are united the gentleman,
officer, soldier and friend ; he walked through
the prison with an air of great disdain ; said
he, " Is this the treatment which gentlemen
of the continental army are to expect from the
rascally British, when in their power ?
Heavens forbid it !" He was continued
there about five months, and then exchanged
for a British Major.

John Fell, Esq., now a member of Con-
gress for the State of New Jersey, was taken
from his own house by a gang of infamous
lories, and by order of a British General was

ETHAN ALLEN. 107

sent to the provost, where he was continued
near one year. The stench of the gaol, which
was very loathsome and unhealthy, occasioned
a hoarseness of the lungs, which proved fatal
to many who were there confined, and re-
duced this gentleman near to the point of death;
he was indeed given over by his friends who
were about him, and himself concluded he
must die. I could not endure the thought
that so worthy a friend to America should
have his life stole from him in such a mean,
base, and scandalous a manner, and that his
family and friends should be bereaved of so
great and desirable a blessing, as his further
care, usefulness and examples, might prove to
them. I therefore wrote a letter to General
Robertson, who commanded in town, and
being touched with the most sensible feelings
of humanity, which dictated my pen to paint
dying distress in such lively colors that it
wrought conviction even on the obduracy of
a British General, and produced his order to
remove the now honorable John Fell, Esq.,
out of gaol to private lodgings in town ; in
consequence of which he slowly recovered
his health. There is so extraordinary a cir-
cumstance which intervened, concerning this
letter, that it is worth noticing.

108 ETHAN ALLEN.

Previous to the sending It, I exliibited the
same to the gentleman on whose behalf it was
wrote, for his approbation, and he forbid rae
to send it in the most positive and explicit
terms ; his reason was, " That the enemy-
knew by every morning's report, the condi-
tion of all the prisoners, mine in particular,
as 1 have been gradually coming to my end
for a considerable time, and they very well
knew it, and likewise determined it should be
accomplished, as they had served many others;
that to ask a favor would give the merciless
enemy occasion to triumph over me in my
last moments, and therefore 1 will ask no
favors from them, but resign myself to my
supposed fate." But the letter I sent with-
out his knowledge, and I confess I had but
little expectations from it, yet could not be
easy till I had sent it. It may be worth a
remark, that this gentleman was an English-
man born, and from the beginning of the revo-
lution has invariably asserted and maintained
the cause of liberty.

The British have made so extensive an
improvement of the provost during the present
revolution till of late, that a very short defini-
tion will be sufficient for the dullest appre-
hensions. It may be with propriety called
the British inquisition, and calculated to sup-

ETHAN ALLEN,

109

port iheir oppressive measures and designs,
by suppressing the spirit of liberty ; as also a
place to confine the crinriinals, and most in-
fennous wretches of their own army, where
many gentlemen of the American army, and
citizens thereof, were promiscuously confined,
with every species of criminals ; but they di-
vided into different compartments, and kept
at as great a remove as circumstances permit-
ted, but it was nevertheless at the option of a
villainous sergeant who had the charge of the
provost, to take any gentlemen from their
room, and put them into the dungeon, which
was often the case. At two different times
I was taken down stairs for that purpose
by a file of soldiers with fixed bayonets, and
the sergeant brandishing his sword at the same
time, and having been brought to the door of
the dungeon, I there flattered the vanity of
the sergeant, whose name was Keaf, by which
means I procured the surprising favor to re-
turn to my companions ; but some of the high
mettled young gentlemen could not bear his
insolence, and determined to keep at a dis-
tance, and neither please or displease the
villain, but none could keep clear of his abuse;
however mild measures were the best ; he did
not hesitate* to call us damned rebels, and use
U3 with the coarsest language. The Captains
10

no NARRATIVE OF

Flahaven, Randolph and Mercer, were the
objects of his most flagrant and repeated
abuses, who were many times taken to the
dungeon, and there continued at his pleasure.
Captain Flahaven took cold in the dungeon,
and was in a declining state of health, but an
exchange delivered him, and in all probability
saved his life. It was very mortifying to bear
with the insolence of such a vicious and ill-
bred, imperious rascal . Remonstrances against
him were preferred to the commander of the
town, but no relief could be obtained, fowhis
superiors were undoubtedly well pleased with
his abusive conduct to the gentlemen, under
the severities of his power, and remonstrating
against his infernal conduct, only served to
confirm him in authority, and for this reason
I never made any remonstrances' on the sub-
ject, but only flattered him, for I knew that
he was but a cat's paw in the hands of the
British officers, and that if he should use us
well, he would immediately be put out of that
trust, and a worse man appointed to succeed
him ; but there was no need of making any
new appointment, for Cunningham, their pro-
vost marshal, and Keaf, his deputy, were as
great rascals as their army could boast of,
except one Joshua Loring, an infamous tory,
who was Commissary of prisoners, nor can

ETHAN ALLtN. Ill

any of those be supposed to be equally crim"
inal with General Sir William Howe and his
associates, who prescribed and directed the
murders and cruelties which were by them
perpetrated. This Loring is a monster !
There is not his hke in human shape. He
exhibits a smiling countenance, seems to wear
a phiz of humanity, but has been instrument-
ally capable of the most consummate acts of
wickedness, (which were firstly projected by
an abandoned British council, clothed with
the authority of a Howe) murdering premed-
itately in cold blood near or quite one thousand
helpless prisoners, and that in the most clan-
destine, mean and shameful manner, at New
York. He is the most mean spirited, cow-
ardly, deceitful and destructive animal in God's
creation below, and legions of infernal devils,
with all their tremendous horrors, are impa-
tiently ready to receive Howe and him, with
all their detestable accomplices, into the most
exquisite agonies of the hottest region of hell
fire.

The sixth day of July, 1777, Gen. St.
Clair, and the army under his command,
evacuated Ticonderoga, and retreated with
the main body through Hubberdton into
Castleton, which was but six miles distance,
when his rear-guard commanded by Col. Seth

•112 NARRATIVE OF

Warner, was attacked at Hubberdton by a
body of the enemy of about two thousand
commanded by Gen. Fraser. Warner's com-
mand consisted of his own and two other
regiments, viz. Francis's and Hale's, and
some scattering and enfeebled soldiers. His
whole number, according to information, was
near or quite one thousand ; part of which
were Green Mountain Boys ; about seven
hundred out of the whole he brought into
action. The enemy advanced boldly, and
the two bodies formed within about sixty
yards of each other. Col. Warner having
formed his own regiment, and that of Col.
Francis's, did not wait for the enemy, but
gave them a hearty fire from his whole hne,
and they returned it with great bravery. It
was by this time dangerous for those of both
parties, who were not prepared for the world
to come; but Col. Hale being apprised of the
danger, never brought his regiment to the
charge, but left Warner and Francis to stand
the blowing of it, and fled, but luckily fell in
with an inconsiderable number of the enemy,
and to his eternal shame, surrendered himself
a prisoner.

The conflict was very bloody. Col. Fran-
cis fell in the same, but Col. Warner, and the
officers under his command, as also the sol-

ETHAN ALLEN. 113

diery, behaved with great resolution. The
enemy broke, and gave way on the right and
left, but formed again and renewed the attack ;
in the mean time the British grenadiers, in the
centre of the enemy's- line, maintained the
ground, and finally carried it with the point
of the bayonet, and Warner retreated with re-
luctance. Our loss was about thirty men
killed, and that of the enemy amounted to
three hundred killed, including a Major Grant.
The enemy's loss I learnt from the confession
of their own officers, when a prisoner with
them. I heard them likewise complain that
the Green Mountain Boys took sight. The
next movement of the enemy, of any material
consequence, was their investing Bennington,
with a design to demolish it, and subject its«
Mountaineers, to which they had a great aver-
sion, with fifteen hundred chosen men, includ-
ing tories, with the highest expectation of suc-
cess, and having chosen an eminence of strong
ground, fortified it with slight breast workS)
and two pieces of cannon; but the govern-
ment of the young State of Vermont, being
previously jealous of such an attempt of the
enemy, and in due time had procured a num-
ber of brave militia from the government of
the State of New Hampshire, who together
with the militia of the north part of Berkshire
10*

114 NARRATIVE OF

county, and State of Massachusetts, and the
Green Mountain Boys, constituted a body of
desperadoes, under the command of the in-
trepid General Stark, who in number were
about equal to the enemy. Colonel Herrick,
who commanded the Green Mountain Rangers,
and who was second in command, being thor-
oughly acquainted with the ground where the
enemy had fortified, proposed to attack them
in their works upon all parts, at the same time.
This plan being adopted by the General and
his council of war, the little militia brigade of
undisciplined heroes, with their long brown
firelocks, (the best security of a free people,)
without either cannon or bayonets, was, on the
16th day of August, led on to the attack by
their bold commanders, in the face of the ene-
my's dreadful fire, (and to the astonishment of
the world, and burlesque of disciphne) carried
every part of their lines in less than one quar-
ter of an hour after the attack became general,
took their cannon, killed and captivated more
than two thirds of their number, which im-
mortalized General Stark, and made Benning-
ton famous to posterity.

Among the enemy's slain was found Colonel
Baura, their commander, a Colonel Pfejter,
who headed an infamous gang of tories, and a
large part of his command ; and among the

1

ETHAN ALLEN. 115

prisoners was Major Meibome, their second
in command, a number of British and Hessian
officers, surgeons, &c., and more than one
hundred of the afore-m^ntioned Pfester's com-
mand. The prisoners being collected togeth-
er, were sent to the meeting-house in the
town, by a strong guard, and General Stark,
not imagining any present danger, the militia
scattered from him to rest and refresh them-
selves ; in this situation he was on a sudden
iattacked by a reinforcement of eleven hundred
of the enemy, commanded by a Governor
Skene, with two field pieces. They advanced
in regular order, and kept up an incessant fire,
especially from their field pieces, and the re-
maining militia retreating slowly before them,
disputed the ground inch by inch. The ene-
my were heard to halloo to them, saying,
*' stop Yankies.*'

In the mean time Colonel Warner, with
about one hundred and thirty men of his regi-
ment, (who were not in the first action) arrived
and attacked the enemy with great fury (being
determined to have ample revenge on account
of the late quarrel at Hubberdton) which
brouglu them to a stand, and soon after Gen.
Stark and Col. Herrick brought on more of
the scattered militia, and the action became
general ; in a few minutes the enemy were
forced from their cannon, gave way on all

116 NARRATIVE OP

parts and fled, and the shouts of victory were
a second time proclaimed in favor of the
militia. The enemy's loss in killed and pris-
oners, in these two actions, amounted to more
than twelve hnndred men, and our loss did
not exceed fifty men. This was a bitter stroke
to the enemy, but their pride would not per-
mit them to hesitate but that they could van-
quish the country, and as a specimen of their
arrogancy, I shall insert General Burgoyne's

PROCLAMATION.

"By John Burgoyne, Esquire^ Lieutenant-
General of his Majesty'' s armies in America,
Colonel of the Queen's regiment of light
dragoons, Governor of Fort William in
Jforth Britain, one of the Representatives
of the Commons of Great Britain in Par-
liament, and commanding an army and
fleet employed on an expedition from Can-
ada, ^c. ^c. ^c.

'' The forces entrusted to my command
are designed to act in concert and upon a com-
mon principle, with the numerous armies and
fleets which already display in every quarter
of America, the power, the justice, and when
properly sought, the mercy of the king.

'' The cause in which the British arms are
thus exerted, applies to the most affecting in-
terests of the human heart ; and the military

ETHAN ALLEN. 117

servants of the crown, at first called forth for
the purpose of restoring the rights of the con-
stitution, now combine with love of their
country, and duty to their sovereign, the other
extensive incitements which spring from a due
sense of the general privileges of mankind.
To the eyes and ears of the temperate part of
the pubhc, and to the breasts of suffering thou-
sands in the provinces, be the melancholy ap-
peal, whether the present unnatural rebellion
has not been made a foundation for the
complelest system of tyranny that ever God
in his displeasure, suffered for a time to be
exercised over a froward and stubborn gener-
ation.

" Arbitrary Imprisonment, confiscation of
property, persecution and torture, unprece-
dented in the inquisitions of the Romish church,
are among the palpable enormities that verify
the affirmative. These are inflicted by as-
semblies and committees, who dare to profess
themselves friends to liberty, upon the most
quiet subjects, without distinction of age or
sex, for the sole crime, often for the sole sus-
picion, of having adhered in principle to the
government under which they were born, and
to which by every tie, divine and human, they
owe allegiance. To consummate these shock-
ing proceedings, the profanation of religion is
added to the most profligate prostitution of

lis NARRATIVE OF

common reason ; the consciences of men are
set at nought ; and multitudes are compelled
not only to bear arms, but also to swear sub-
jection to an usurpation they abhor.

'' Animated by these considerations ; at the
head of troops in the full powers of health,
discipline, ^nd valor ; determined to strike
where necessary, and anxious to spare where
possible. I by these presents invite and exhort
all persons, in all places where the progress
of this army may point, — and by the blessing
of God I will extend it far, — to maintain such
a conduct as may justify me in protecting their
lands, habitations and families. The intention
of this address is to hold forth security, not
depredation to the country. To those whom
spirit and principle may induce to partake the
glorious task of redeeming their countrymen
from dungeons, and re-establishing the bless-
ings of legal government, I offer encourage-
ment and employment ; and upon the first in-
telligence of their associations, I will find
means to assist their undertakings. The do-
mestic, the industrious, the infirm, and even
the timid inhabitants, I am desirous to protect,
provided they remain quietly at their houses ;
that they do not suffer their cattle to be re-
moved, nor their corn or forage to be secreted
or destroyed ; that they do not break up their
bridges or roads ; nor by any other act, di-

ETHAN ALLEN. 119

i^ctly or indirectly, endeavor to obstruct the
operations of the king's troops, or supply or
assist those of the enemy. Every species of
provision brought to my camp, will be paid
for at an equitable rate, and in solid coin.

" In consciousness of Christianity, my royal
master's clemency, and the honor of soldier-
ship, I have dwelt upon this invitation, and
wished for more persuasive terms to give it
impression. And let not people be led to
disregard it, by considering their distance from
the immediate situation of my camp. I have
but to give stretch to the Indian forces under
my direction, and they amount to thousands,
to overtake the hardened enemies of Great
Britain and America : I consider them the
same wherever they may lurk.

" If notwithstanding these endeavors, and
sincere inchnations to effect them, the phrenzy
of hostility should remain, I trust I shall stand
acquitted in the eyes of God and men, in de-
nouncing and executing the vengeance of the
state against the wilful outcasts. The mes-
sengers of justice and of wrath await thera
in the field ; and devastation, famine, and ev-
ery concomitant horror that a reluctant but
indispensable prosecution of military duty must
occasion, will bear the way to their return.
J. BURGOYNE.

By order of His Excellency the Lieutenant General,

ROBERT KINGSl^ON, Sec.
Camp near Ticonderoga, 4th July, 1777.

120 NARRATIVE OF

General Burgoyne was still the toast; and
the severities towardi the prisoners were in
great measure increased or diminished, in pro-
portion to the expectation of conquest. His
very ostentatious Proclamation was in the
hand and mouth of most of the soldiery, es-
pecially the tories, and from it their faith was
raised to assurance. I wish my countrymen
in general could but have an idea of the as-
suming tyranny, and haughty, malevolent, and
insolent behavior of the enemy at that time ;
and from thence discern the intolerable calam-
ities which this country have extricated them-
selves from by their public spiritedness and
bravery. The downfall of General Burgoyne
and surrender of his whole army, dashed the
aspiring hopes and expectations of the enemy,
and brought low the imperious spirit of an
opulent, puissant and haughty nation, and
made the tories bite the ground with anguish,
exalting the valor of the free-born sons of
America, and raised their fame and that of
their brave commanders to the clouds, and
immortalized General Gates with laurels of
eternal duration.

No sooner had the knowledge of this inter-
esting and mighty event reached His Most
Christian Majesty, who in Europe shines with
a superior lustre in goodness, policy and arms,
but the illustrious potentate, auspiciously in-

tTHAN ALLEN. 121

Huenced by Heaven to promote the reciprocal
interest and happiness of the ancient kingdom
of France, and the new and rising States of
America, passed the great and decisive de-
cree, that the United Sta,tes of America,
should be Free and Independent. Vaunt
no more Old England ! consider you are but
an island ! and that your power has been con-
tinued longer than the exercise of your hu-
manity. Order your broken and vanquished
battalions to retire from America, the scene
of your cruelties. Go home and repent in
dust and sackloth for your aggravated crimes.
The cries of bereaved parents, widows, and
orphans, reach the Heavens, and you are
abominated by every friend to America. Take
your friends tiie tories with you, and be gone,
and drink deep of the cup of humiliation.
Make peace with the princes of the house of
Bourbon, for you are in no condition to wage
war with them. Your veteran soldiers are
fallen in America, and your glory is departed.
Be quiet and pay your debts, especially for
the hire of the Hessians. There is no other
way for you to get into credit again, but by
reformation and plain honesty, which you
have despised ; for your power is by no means
sufficient to support your vanity. I have had
opportunity to see a great deal of it, and felt
its severe effects, and learned lessons of wis-
11

122 NARRATIVE OF

dom and policy, when I wore your heavy
irons, and bore your bitter revilings and re-
proaches. I have something of a smattering
of philosophy, and understand human nature
in all its stages tolerably well ; am thoroughly
acquainted with your national crimes, and
assure you that they not only cry aloud for
Heaven's vengeance, ^but excite mankind to
rise up against you. Virtue, wisdom and
policy, are in a national sense always connect-
ed with power, or in other words, power is
their offspring, and such power as is not di-
rected by virtue, wisdom and policy, never
fails finally to destroy itself as yours has done.
It is so in the nature of things, and unfit that
it should be otherwise ; for if it was not so,
vanity, injustice, and oppression, might reign
triumphant forever. 1 know you have indi-
viduals, who still retain their virtue, and con-
sequently their honor and humanity. Those
I really pity, as they must more or less suffer
in the calamity, in which the nation is plunged;
but as a nation I hate and despise you.

My affections are Frenchified. I glory in
Louis the sixteenth, the generous and power-
ful ally of th^'se States ; am fond of a connec-
tion with so enterprising, learned, polite, cour-
teous, and commercial a nation, and am sure
that I express the sentiments and feelings of
all the friends to the present revolution. I

ETHAN ALLEN. 123

begin to learn the French tongue, and recom-
mend it to my countrymen before Hebrew,
Greek or Latin, (provided but one of them
only are to be attended to) for the trade and
commerce of these States in future must inev-
itably shift its channel from England to France,
Spain and Portugal ; and therefore the states-
man, politician and merchant, need be ac-
quainted with their several languages, particu-
larly the French, which is much in vogue in
most parts of Europe. Nothing could have
served so effectually to illuminate, polish and
enrich these States as the present revolution,
as well as preserve their liberty. Mankind
are naturally too national, even to the degree
of bigotry, and commercial intercourse with
foreign nations has a great and necessary ten-
dency to improve mankind, and erase the su-
perstition of the mind by acquainting them
that human nature, policy and interest, are the
same in all nations, and at the same time they
are bartering commodities for the conveniences
and happiness of each nation, they may recip-
rocally exchange such part of their customs
and manners as may be beneficial, and learn
to extend charity and good will to the whole
world of mankind.

I was confined in the provost-gaol at New
York the 26th day of August, and continued
there to the third day of May, 1778, when [

124 NARRATIVE OP

was taken out under guard, and conducted to
a sloop in the harbor at New York, in which
I was guarded to Staten Island, to General
Campbell's quarters, where I was admitted to
eat and drink with the General a^d several
other of the British field officers, and treated
for two days in a polite manner. As I was
drinking wine with them one evening, J made
an observation on my transition from the pro-
vost-criminals to the company of gentlemen,
adding, that I was the same man still, and
should give the British credit by him, (speak-
ing to the General) for two days' good usage.
The next day Colonel Archibald Campbell
(who was exchanged for me) came to this
place, conducted by Mr. Boudinot, the then
American commissary of prisoners, and sa-
luted me in a handsome manner, saying that
he never was more glad to see any gentleman
in his life. I gave him to understand that I
was equally glad to see him, and was appre-
hensive that it was from the same motive.
The gentlemen present laughed at the fancy,
and conjectured that sweet liberty was the
foundation of our gladness ; so we took a glass
of wine togetjier, and then I was accompanied
by General Campbell, Col. Campbell, Mr.
Boudinot, and a number of British officers, to
the boat, which was ready to sail to Eliza-
bethtown Point. Meanwhile I entertained

ETHAN ALLEN. 125

them with a rehearsal of the cruehies exercised
towards our prisoners ; and assured them that
I should use my influence that their prisoners
should be treated in future in the same manner
as they should in future treat ours ; that I
thought it was right, in such cases, that their
example should be applied to their own pris-
oners ; then exchanged the decent ceremonies
of compliment, and parted. I sailed to the
Point aforesaid, and in a transport of joy,
landed on liberty ground ; and as I advanced
into the country, received the acclamations of
a grateful people.

I soon fell into company with Colonel Shel-
den, of the light horse, who, in a polite and
obliging manner, accompanied me to head
quarters,' Valley Forge, where I was cour-
teously received by General Washington,
wjth peculiar marks of his approbation and
esteem, and was introduced to most of the
Generals and many of the principal officers of
the army, who treated me with respect ; and
after having offered General Washington my
further service, in behalf of my country, as
soon as my health (which was much impaired)
would admit, and obtained his license to return
home, 1 took my leave of his Excellency, and
set out from Valley Forge with General Gates
and his suite for Fishkill, where we arrived
the latter end of May. In this tour the Gen*
1^

126 - Allen's narrative.

eral was pleased to treat me with the familiarity
of a companion, and generosity of a lord ;
and to him I made known some striking cir-
cumstances which occurred in the course of
my captivity. I then bid farewell to my noble
General and the gentlemen of his retinue, and
set out for Bennington, the capital of the
Green Mountain Be ys, where I arrived the
evening of the last day of May to their great
surprise ; for I was to them as one rose from
the dead, and now their joy and mine was
complete. Three cannon were fired that eve-
ning, and next morning Col. Herrick gave
orders, and fourteen more were discharged,
welcoming me to Bennington, my usual place
of abode ; — thirteen for the United States, and
one for young Vermont.

After this ceremony was ended, we moved
the flowing bowl ; and rural felicity, sweetened
with friendship, glowed in each countenance ;
and, with loyal healths to the rising States of
America, concluded that evening ; and with
the same loyal spirit, I now conclude my
narrative.

LIBHAHY Uh CONGRESS

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